Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

Haley shines, Trump a target: Key takeaways from the GOP debate
Axios | Zachary Basu | 09/28/23

Chaos reigned in the second GOP presidential debate, which brought together seven candidates who are collectively polling at around 37% - a full 16 points below former President Trump.

Why it matters: Trump has paid no price for skipping the debates - his polling share has actually increased from 52% to 54% since the August affair - and he looks set to steamroll his way to the GOP nomination absent a political earthquake or consolidation of the field.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is clinging to second place after a summer reset, delivered perhaps the only appropriate response to the long odds he and every other candidate faces: "Polls don't elect presidents - voters elect presidents."

But as the two-hour spectacle wound down at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., strong performances from DeSantis, former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and Sen. Tim Scott ultimately seemed unlikely to reshape the trajectory of the race. ... ... Read more

Canada's "hellish" wildfire season defies the calendar
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 09/28/23

Canada's wildfire season, already the worst on record, went "completely off the rails" during the past week, scientists tell Axios.

The big picture: Enough land area burned in the past week to make the seven-day-period comparable to nearly an entire typical fire season across Canada, according to Merritt Turetsky of the University of Colorado.

While five provinces and territories, stretching from Nova Scotia to the Northwest Territories, saw record amounts of land burned this season, western Canada has been hit the hardest, she said in an interview.

"Things have just continued to play out in kind of a hellish way in western Canada," she said.

During the past few days, smoke from wildfires in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories has tinted the skies over Greenland and northern Europe. ... Read more

Antarctic sea ice hits lowest seasonal peak on record
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 09/27/23

Antarctic sea ice fell to an all-time lowest seasonal peak, reaching about 398,000 square miles below the previous record in 1986, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colo.

Why it matters: The pronounced lack of sea ice this year, which is part of a steep drop seen during the past several years, could have implications for land-based ice stability and the functions of global ocean currents.

The big picture: Antarctic sea ice hit its seasonal peak on Sept. 10, the NSIDC announced Monday. At that peak, the sea ice cover was missing an area of floating ice larger than the combination of Texas and Arizona. ... Read more

The Catastrophe No One Talks About | 07/25/23 | 25:40

Trump's Cognitive GAFFES Are Beginning To Worry EVERYONE | TYT | 09/27/23 | 9:00

David McCallum obituary
TheGuardian | Ronald Bergan | 09/26/23

In the 1960s, there was one actor who could justifiably claim that ladies prefer blonds. As the secret agent Illya Kuryakin in the TV series The Man from UNCLE, David McCallum, who has died aged 90, received more fan mail from young women than any other actor in MGM's history.

With his Beatles-style haircut, his liking for black turtleneck sweaters (which created a fad among viewers nationwide), and an aloof and enigmatic air, through which he sneaked a fair amount of charm and self-amusement, McCallum made Kuryakin into a sex symbol of the period. ... Read more

Trump wants judge to reject gag order request in election interference case
Axios | Ivana Saric | 09/25/23

Former President Trump's lawyers on Monday slammed prosecutors' request for a narrow gag order in the special counsel's election interference case.

Why it matters: Trump's legal team argued in a court filing that such an order would violate his First Amendment rights and "unconstitutionally silence" the frontrunner in the GOP primary during the "most important months" of his 2024 campaign.

"The Court should reject this transparent gamesmanship and deny the motion entirely," the lawyers wrote. ... Read more

Superpower | Official Trailer | 2023 | 2:32

1984 colorized version of the 1956 film | 2022 | 1:30:13

1984 Tried To Warn You | 2023 | 50:03

Top Republican RETIRES and SPILLS THE BEANS on Entire Party | MeidasTouch | 09/21/23 | 11:42

There are six days left before government funding runs out
Politico | staff | 09/25/23

There are six days left before government funding runs out and Kevin McCarthy is pressing ahead with his all-but-doomed plan to push several appropriations bills through the House this week (which won't do anything to avert a shutdown). There’s not much reason for optimism:

We tested ChatGPT's new support for images and voice search
Axios | Ina Fried | 09/25/23

ChatGPT is moving beyond text - letting some users include images as part of a query and give spoken rather than typed instructions to the chatbot, which can also speak its answers.

Why it matters: The new features give the chatbot more utility right now and point to a future where AI tools understand the world around them, not just the online data on which they've been trained.

The big picture: OpenAI said in the spring when it released GPT-4 that such "multimodal" support was part of the new model. But it's taken until now for the company to ensure that the new input methods didn't make it easier to bypass the company's safety policies.

How it works: The new features will be available to ChatGPT Plus and enterprise customers over the next two weeks. Once the new features are enabled in the ChatGPT app, users can add an image to any text prompt, either by taking a new picture or uploading from a photo library. ... Read more

AI Program Will Help Pentagon Understand Its Own BLOATED Budget | TYT | 09/25/23 | 4:43

The great AI "pause" that wasn't
Axion | Ryan Heath | 09/22/23

The organizers of a high-profile open letter last March calling for a "pause" in work on advanced artificial intelligence lost that battle, but they could be winning a longer-term fight to persuade the world to slow AI down.

The big picture: Almost exactly six months after the Future of Life Institute's letter - signed by Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak and more than 1,000 others - called for a six-month moratorium on advanced AI, the work is still charging ahead. But the ensuing massive debate deepened public unease with the technology.

The letter helped normalize expressing deep AI fears. Voters began to repeatedly express concern to pollsters, the White House mobilized tech CEOs to make safety commitments, and foreign regulators from Europe to China raced to finish AI regulations.

Between the lines: In recent months, the AI conversation around the world has intensely focused on the social, political and economic risks associated with generative AI, and voters have been vocal in telling pollsters about their AI concerns. ... Read more

800 troops head to U.S.-Mexico border in response to migrant crisis
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 09/22/23

Texas officials have reported a "surge" in migrant crossings into the U.S. from Mexico and two deaths in the Rio Grande this week, including a 3-year-old boy.

The big picture: Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador suggested on Thursday visiting D.C. in November to discuss the humanitarian crisis, as he shared U.S. Customs and Border Protection data showing that American authorities encountered over 142,000 migrants at the border in the first half of September, per Reuters.

That puts the U.S. on track to equal or top previous monthly highs, after the Biden administration had seen a decline in border crossings earlier this year. ... Read more

Nicolle: How Gen. Milley fought to contain an unstable Trump, protect 'stability' of democracy | MSNBC | 09/22/23 | 7:34

Centrists plot shutdown Plan B as House GOP flails on spending bills
Axios | Andrew Solender | 09/20/23

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) suffered two major setbacks Tuesday in his quest to avert a government shutdown:

McCarthy pulled a procedural vote on a stopgap spending bill that would keep the government funded for another 30 days, after more than a dozen Republicans voiced opposition.

Five GOP hardliners sided with Democrats to defeat a Pentagon funding bill - demanding Republican leadership provide clarity on the total spending levels of all 12 appropriations bills.

Why it matters: The House GOP is trapped in a cycle of self-sabotage. In an ironic twist of fate, frustrated Republicans are now growing more open to cutting a deal with Democrats - the worst possible outcome for the conservative hardliners agitating for deeper spending cuts.

Driving the news: The bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus - composed of centrists from both parties - is meeting Wedesday to discuss a Plan B. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) will be in attendance. ... Read more

Dems urge McCarthy to face reality, work with them on spending bills
Axios | Andrew Solender | 09/18/23

With the clock ticking to fund the government and avoid a shutdown at the end of the month, Democrats are pressing House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to accept an idea that seems inevitable: You will need us, one way or another.

Why it matters: Any spending bills will need agreement from the Senate and President Biden - a challenge for McCarthy, whose right flank is steering him toward severe budget cuts while threatening to replace him and seemingly welcoming a shutdown.

Driving the news: All 98 House Democrats in the center-left New Democrat Coalition have signed a letter to McCarthy urging him to put the Senate's bipartisan appropriations bill up for a vote, rather than trying to pass House Republicans' party-line bills. ... Read more

Why some economists still think a recession is coming
Axios | Matt Phillips | 09/19/23

For most of the year, the narrative that the U.S. could pull off a soft landing - in which growth slows without tipping the economy into recession - has gained traction.

Why it matters: That optimism was a clear driver of the stock market's performance.

The S&P 500 is up 16% in 2023. The Nasdaq Composite index is up more than 30%.

Yes, but: Most Wall Street economists still expect a recession over the next year.

Forecasters surveyed by Bloomberg pegged the odds at around 60%.

Key point: That's down significantly from last year around this time, when virtually 100% of economists thought a recession was on the way. ... Read more

Microsoft board supported buying Nintendo
Axios | Stephen Totil | 09/19/23

Microsoft's board of directors was "fully supportive" of a potential purchase of Nintendo if the opportunity arose, according to a newly leaked email from the company's head of gaming.

Why it matters: The merger would be the largest in gaming history, but Nintendo would have to be a willing participant.

As of summer 2020, it was not, according to the email from Microsoft executive, Phil Spencer.

The company did not respond on Tuesday morning to Axios' request for comment on the leaks. ... Read more

UAW launches unprecedented strike against GM, Ford and Stellantis
Axios | Nathan Bomey | 09/15/23

The United Auto Workers union launched an unprecedented strike against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis after negotiators failed to reach a last-minute deal on a new contract.

Why it matters: The Detroit Three automakers collectively have about 150,000 UAW-represented employees at dozens of factories in the U.S., making popular vehicles like the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and Jeep Wrangler.

Driving the news: UAW President Shawn Fain said the union would begin a strike at three factories after national contracts expired at 11:59pm Thursday, rather than striking all U.S. operations of the companies:

Hurricane Lee to swipe New England while slamming Nova Scotia
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 09/15/23

Hurricane Lee is set to pass dangerously close to eastern Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine on Friday while making a direct hit in the Canadian Maritimes through Saturday, the National Hurricane Center said.

Threat level: Hurricane Lee is slated to bring tropical storm force winds (39 mph or greater) to southeastern New England beginning Friday afternoon, with hurricane-force winds (74 mph or greater) possible across Downeast Maine and parts of Canada through Saturday.

Tropical storm warnings affected about 7.6 million people in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire on Friday morning - including in Boston, Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard.

Hurricane watches are up from northeastern Maine to the U.S.-Canada border, as well as New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Point Lepreau, including Grand Manan Island, and Nova Scotia from Digby to Medway Harbour. ... Read more

Global air, ocean temperature records shattered in August
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 09/15/23

A month of sweltering conditions drove global ocean and air temperatures to their hottest August in at least 174 years of record-keeping.

Why it matters: The planet's summer of sizzling milestones is a clear indication that 2023 will likely rank at the top of the list of warmest years.

The big picture: The planet has seen a steady onslaught of extreme weather and climate disasters this summer, from the deadly flooding in Greece and Libya to repeat and deadly heat waves in the U.S. and Europe.

There is now at least a 95% likelihood that 2023 will rank as a top-2 warmest year on record, NOAA stated Thursday. This is a new development, since previously its forecasters were zeroing in on a top-5 warmest year.

Outside climate scientists, including those at Berkeley Earth, have stated that not only will 2023 be the warmest year on record, it even has a 50% chance of meeting or beating the 1.5C (2.7F) guardrail contained in the Paris Agreement. ... Read more

Where America stands: New power centers, aging population
Axios | Alex Fitzpatrick | 09/14/23

Americans' incomes are falling, they're getting older, and they're decamping to states like Florida, Idaho and South Carolina.

That's one big takeaway from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2022 American Community Survey (ACS) one-year estimates, released this morning.

Why it matters: The ACS is one of the best resources available for a regularly published quantified look at myriad facets of American life, down to a remarkably local level.

By the numbers: Some key findings include...

Nationwide median household income fell 0.8% between 2021-2022, to $74,755, adjusted for inflation.

Americans' median age hit 39 years old, up from 38.8 in 2021 and 37.4 in 2012. (It's 40.1 for women, compared with 37.9 for men.)

Florida (+2.1%), Idaho (+2%) and South Carolina (+1.8%) saw the highest rates of population growth between 2021-2022, while New York (-0.8%), Louisiana (-0.7%) and Illinois (-0.7%) saw the biggest decreases. (Population is affected by in- and out-migration, but also births and deaths.) ... Read more

US behind more than a third of global oil and gas expansion plans, report finds
TheGuardian | Fiona Harvey | 09/12/23

The US accounts for more than a third of the expansion of global oil and gas production planned by mid-century, despite its claims of climate leadership, research has found.

Canada and Russia have the next biggest expansion plans, calculated based on how much carbon dioxide is likely to be produced from new developments, followed by Iran, China and Brazil. The United Arab Emirates, which is to host the annual UN climate summit this year, Cop28 in Dubai in November, is seventh on the list.

The data, in a report from the campaign group Oil Change International, also showed that five “global north countries” – the US, Canada, Australia, Norway and the UK - will be responsible for just over half of all the planned expansion from new oil and gas fields to 2050. ... Read more

Planet Wreckers: How 20 Countries' Oil and Gas Extraction Plans Risk Locking in Climate Chaos
OilChange | staff | Sept 2023

Only 20 Planet Wrecker countries are responsible for nearly 90 percent of the carbon-dioxide (CO2) pollution from new oil and gas fields and fracking wells planned between 2023 and 2050.

If these 20 Planet Wreckers said "no" to their planned new oil and gas production, as the UN Secretary General is urging them to, 173 billion tonnes (Gt) of carbon pollution would be kept in the ground. That is equivalent to the lifetime pollution of nearly 1,100 new coal plants, or more than 30 years of annual U.S. carbon emissions.

Oil and gas expansion by the 20 Planet Wrecker countries would make it impossible to hold temperature rise to 1.5C. Even extracting just the fossil fuels from existing sites globally would result in 140 percent more carbon pollution than the allowed budget for 1.5C. If these countries proceed with their new extraction, committed carbon pollution will be 190 percent over the 1.5C budget, risking locking in more than a dangerous 2C of warming. ... Read more

Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin meet in Russia amid arms deal concerns
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 09/13/23

North Korea leader Kim Jong-un met with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for a tour of the Vostochny Cosmodrome space center in Russia's far eastern Amur region on Wednesday, per the Kremlin's Telegram channel.

Why it matters: There's growing concern that Pyongyang could supply weapons to the Kremlin for Putin's war on Ukraine. Asked whether the leaders would discuss arms supplies or "military-technical co-operation," Putin said "we will discuss all issues," per a BBC translation.

State of play: Kim said ahead of the meeting at Vostochny Cosmodrome that his first visit to Russia in four years underscored the "strategic importance" of relations between Pyongyang and Moscow, according to North Korean state media.

Russian state media reported that when Putin was asked during the tour whether Moscow officials would help their Pyongyang counterparts build satellites, he replied: "This is why we've come to Vostochny Cosmodrome." ... Read more

How a government shutdown would affect Wall Street and the economy
Axios | Matt Phillips, | 09/13/23

With just two weeks before Congress' deadline to fund the government, Wall Street is gaming out how a shutdown could hit the economy.

Why it matters: Federal government spending amounts to roughly a quarter of U.S. GDP.

State of play: The House of Representatives needs to pass 12 appropriations bills to fund the government by Sept. 30 - and it hasn't yet passed a single one.

With just 10 working days left, that means Congress would need to pass a stop-gap "continuing resolution" to keep the government funded past the deadline. ... Read more

If Auto Company CEOs Are Raking It in, Why Shouldn't Their Workers? | Robert Reich | 09/09/23 | 4:57

Libya: 10,000 missing after unprecedented floods, says Red Cross
TheGuardian | Patrick Wintour | 09/12/23

Ten thousand people are missing after unprecedented flooding in Libya, the Red Cross said on Tuesday, as the extent of the damage to Derna, the port city where two dams burst over the weekend, became more clear.

Tamer Ramadan, the Libya envoy for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, gave the figure at a UN briefing in Geneva, describing the death toll as "huge".

The health minister in the administration that controls the east of Libya said more than 3,000 people had been confirmed dead. "The number of missing people is in the thousands, and the number of dead is expected to reach 10,000," Othman Abdel Jalil told Al-Massar TV channel. ... Read more

More tech companies take White House AI safety pledge
Axios | Ina Fried | 09/12/23

IBM, Adobe, Salesforce and five more tech companies are making voluntary safety, security and transparency commitments to the White House related to their use of artificial intelligence.

Why it matters: The pledges are similar to those made in July by OpenAI, Microsoft, Meta and other companies and show growing industry momentum for the voluntary standards.

Details: Although not legally binding, the new companies are joining their peers in agreeing - among other things - to ensure internal and external testing before product release, to label AI-generated content using watermarking or other technology, and to share information with each other and the federal government about risks and vulnerabilities.

Other companies taking the pledge are Nvidia, Palantir, Stability AI, Cohere and Scale AI.

Between the lines: The voluntary commitments are one part of a Biden administration strategy that also includes an executive order, currently in the drafting process, and a bevy of legislative efforts. ... Read more

Hurricane Lee brings "dangerous surf" to southeastern U.S.
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 09/11/23

Hurricane Lee restrengthened into a Category 3 storm on Sunday, and it is forecast to slowly re-intensify as it spins west-northwestward in the tropical Atlantic.

The big picture: The powerful hurricane is forecast to stay well north of the Leeward Islands, Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, and gradually strengthen Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm has so far challenged meteorologists by intensifying at one of the fastest rates on record Thursday to reach Category 5 intensity, only to be disrupted by dry air, stronger upper-level winds and other factors on Friday into Saturday morning. ... Read more

Hurricane Lee churns west as a powerful Category 5 storm
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 09/08/23

Hurricane Lee "skyrococketed" in intensity on Thursday, jumping multiple storm categories in mere hours. It strengthened into a Category 5 storm just before 11pm ET, and remained so on Friday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The big picture: The powerful hurricane is forecast to move well north of the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico, and may slow down east-northeast of the Bahamas this weekend.

The NHC found the storm made an exceptional intensity leap of 80 mph in 24 hours. The escalation greatly exceeds the 35 mph increase needed to fit the definition of rapid intensification.

NHC's current forecast takes the storm's maximum sustained winds to 180 mph. This would make it one of the strongest such storms on record east of the Caribbean. ... Read more

Former Trump aide Peter Navarro convicted for contempt of Congress
Axios | Sareen Habeshian | 09/08/23

Peter Navarro, who served as a White House trade adviser under former President Trump, was convicted Thursday for defying a subpoena from the House Jan 6. committee, multiple outlets reported.

The big picture: Navarro became the second high-ranking former Trump official to be convicted in a case related to attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

Catch up quick: The House panel investigating the Capitol riot issued a subpoena in February 2022, requiring Navarro to appear before the committee in March.

The panel accused Navarro, Steve Bannon and others of developing a plan to delay Congress' certification of the 2020 election. ... Read more

Hurricane Lee begins to intensify into a Category 4 storm
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 09/07/23

Hurricane Lee is showing signs of rapidly intensifying Thursday and is forecast to be a major hurricane by Friday morning, the National Hurricane Center said.

The big picture: The powerful hurricane is forecast to move north of the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico, and may slow down east-northeast of the Bahamas this weekend.

Computer models are virtually in lockstep in calling for the storm to become a major Category 4 or 5 hurricane by Saturday morning, given that it will be traversing some of the warmest tropical ocean waters in the Atlantic under ideal atmospheric conditions. ... Read more

Sneak peek: Pence to warn GOP is on "the road to ruin"
Axios | Mike Allen | 09/07/23

Former Vice President Mike Pence will warn in a major speech in New Hampshire on Wednesday on "Populism vs. Conservatism" that the right's populists and the left's progressives "are fellow travelers on the same road to ruin."

Why it matters: Pence is taking on former President Trump, the field's prohibitive favorite, without naming him. Pence refers to his former boss as "a leading candidate."

What he's saying; "Will we be the party of conservatism, or will our party follow the siren song of populism?" Pence asks in prepared remarks shared with Axios.

"A leading candidate last year called for 'the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution'... while his imitators have a demonstrated willingness to brandish government power to silence critics and impose their will on opponents." ... Read more

Tropical Storm Lee expected to become "extremely dangerous" hurricane
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 09/06/23

Tropical Storm Lee is intensifying in the central tropical Atlantic, and it's expected to undergo "explosive intensification" into an "extremely dangerous" Category 4 hurricane by the weekend as it churns west-northwest.

The big picture: The current forecast track takes the storm on a west-northwesterly path to the north of the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico into this weekend.

Computer models are virtually unanimous in calling for this storm to become a major Category 4 or 5 hurricane during the next few days, given that it will be traversing some of the warmest tropical Ocean waters in the Atlantic under ideal atmospheric conditions. ... Read more

'Most un-Christian person ever': the white evangelical love affair with Donald Trump gets worse | MSNBC | 09/01/23 | 4:39

'A harrowing summer': extreme weather costs hit US as 60m under heat alerts
TheGuardian | Dharna Noor | 09/06/23

The spiraling costs of extreme weather in the US are hitting hard as more than 60 million Americans are under heat alerts this week, experts say, even though federal law does not explicitly consider heatwaves to be climate disasters.

Temperatures on Tuesday climbed toward record highs across the north-east, upper midwest and mid-Atlantic, with the south also bracing for soaring temperatures later in the week.

Hurricane Idalia battered Florida's coast last week, leaving billions of dollars of damage in its wake. Wildfires that raged through the Hawaiian island of Maui this summer are now considered the deadliest in modern US history, killing more than 100 people as well as causing billions of dollars in damage. Deadly floods in Vermont this summer destroyed infrastructure, costing up to $5.3bn. Extreme heat across the country this summer has taken lives, driven up healthcare costs and threatened valuable natural resources like fisheries. ... Read more

The Large Hadron Collider has been used to detect every known particle except neutrinos. Until now
Salon | Matthew Rozsa | 09/01/23

Neutrinos are some of the most enigmatic particles in all of physics. Sporting a neutral charge and a mass close to zero, neutrinos rarely interact with other matter and as such have been notoriously difficult to observe. Scientists have still learned a great deal about them - including identifying three neutrino types (electron, muon and tau particles) - but observing them has been quite another matter. Although neutrinos have been detected using advanced equipment, physicists have hoped to better understand neutrinos by seeing them within a particle collider.

The result was a rousing success: An experiment that detected neutrinos unlike any other that had ever been conducted.

Now, thanks to scientists at two separate institutes, neutrinos have been detected in a collider - and the world of physics may never be the same. ... Read more

How to Fix a Broken Supreme Court | Robert Reich | 08/01/23 | 3:46

Proud Boy who triggered breach of Capitol building on Jan. 6 sentenced to 10 years
Politico | Kyle Cheney | 09/01/23

Dominic Pezzola, a New York Proud Boy who triggered the Jan. 6, 2021 breach of the Capitol when he smashed a window with a stolen police riot shield, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role in the attack.

"You were the one who smashed that window and let people begin to stream into that Capitol building and threaten the lives of our lawmakers," U.S. District Judge Tim Kelly said as he delivered his sentence on Friday. "It's not something I would have ever dreamed I would have seen in our country."

Pezzola's sentence closes one of the most harrowing chapters of the Jan. 6 riot. ... Read more

Top Democrats say there's a strong case for disqualifying Trump
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 09/04/23

Two leading Democrats said Sunday there are potential grounds to remove former President Trump from the 2024 presidential ballot under the 14th Amendment's "insurrection clause."

The big picture: The comments by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) came as Trump sent out fund-raising emails Sunday on potential litigation over the 14th Amendment that railed against "traitorous 'Republicans'" who may be looking into potential cases as he stares down four criminal indictments, per NBC News.

Context: Election officials in several states are examining whether Trump's name should be removed from the 2024 ballot due to Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which prevents anyone who "engaged in insurrection" against the U.S. from holding elected office. ... Read more

Climate disasters are fueling the rise of "doomsday" seed vaults
Axios | Ayurella Horn-Muller | 09/01/23

"Doomsday" seed vaults are becoming an increasingly popular tool in the race to insure global crop and agricultural production against the damaging impacts of climate change.

Why it matters: In an era of simultaneous climate disasters, long-term solutions that bolster the future of food supply are gaining momentum among governments, scientists and small-scale farmers.

The goal is to make sure crops that might get wiped out in one region can be revived somewhere else.

Catch up quick: One prominent example is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault - a "doomsday" reserve buried deep within a Norwegian mountain storing over 1.2 million duplicates of seed samples. ... Read more

Public freakouts, burnout, and bullying: Bad behavior is here to stay
Axios | Tina Reed | date

Concertgoers throwing things at performers, people talking on their cell phones through movies, tourists defacing historical landmarks in pursuit of the perfect selfie — the first truly post-pandemic summer has shown the bad behaviors unleashed during the stress of COVID aren't slowing down.

Why it matters: A mix of worsening mental health and decaying societal connections, both exacerbated by the pandemic, may be driving this trend in rude behavior that could extend far beyond COVID's upheaval, mental health experts told Axios. Though other factors are also at play, they said.

What they're saying: "I think it's a breakdown of social norms," Megan Ranney, dean of the Yale School of Public Health, told Axios. ... Read more