Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

Just the Facts About the US Economy | USAFacts | 09/08/24 | 14:15

Trump's election interference case in Georgia narrowed by judge
Axios | Sareen Habeshian | 09/13/24

A Georgia judge on Thursday dismissed three criminal counts in the 2020 election subversion case against former President Trump and his co-defendants.

The big picture: Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee allowed the remaining charges against Trump and his co-defendants to proceed despite the defendants' argument that elections are a purely federal matter and don't belong in state court.

All three of the dismissed charges concerned fake electors' attempts to file false documents with the state. Two of the three dismissed charges applied to Trump.

Zoom in: McAfee ruled that an 1890 U.S. Supreme Court decision "preempts the State's ability to prosecute perjury and false filings in a federal district court." ... Read more

Behind the Curtain: Trump's big, unfixable, glaring glitch
Axios | Jim VandeHei,Mike Allen | 09/12/24

Here's what troubles former President Trump's advisers most: He knew that with precision and preparation, Vice President Harris would bait him on things like crowd size, and buck discussion about her power today and liberalism in the past.

He knew exactly how to try to turn each moment against her.

Why it matters: But he blew it badly ... repeatedly ... predictably. He simply cannot help himself, Trump insiders begrudgingly admit.

No practice, pleas or sage advice keep Trump from being Trump.

It's a feature - not a correctable bug. ... ... ... Read more

California faces "dangerous" situation as wildfires threaten U.S. West
Axios | Rebecca Falconer,Andrew Freedman | 09/12/24

Officials in Southern California are urging residents to "heed all evacuation orders" as firefighters battle three massive wildfires - among 65 burning across the U.S. West.

Threat level: California Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties in response to the Bridge Fire and in Orange and Riverside counties in response to the Airport Fire Wednesday evening.

At least five firefighters and two civilians have been injured in the Airport Fire and California's other large blaze, the Line Fire, has wounded three firefighters, according to Cal Fire.

Evacuation orders were affecting some 34,000 California residents and evacuation warnings were impacting 97,000 others, amid reports of multiple structures razed and dramatic rescues: ... ... ... Read more

Harris's Debate Smackdown | Trump's Bizarre Pet Rumor | A Hidden Message In Taylor's Endorsement? | The Late Show with Stephen Colbert | 09/12/24 | 11:38

Jimmy Kimmel Breaks Down the Presidential Debate Between Donald Trump & Kamala Harris | Jimmy Kimmel Live | 09/11/24 | 17:11

Jon Stewart Tackles Harris & Trump's Debate and What This Means for the Election | The Daily Show | 09/11/24 | 19:30

Trump takes the bait: Takeaways from Harris' big night
Axios | Zachary Basu | 09/11/24

Over and over at last night's presidential debate, Kamala Harris set traps surgically designed to provoke, rattle and enrage Donald Trump.

And over and over, Trump stepped right into them.

Why it matters: With just eight weeks until the election, Harris delivered for Democrats on the biggest possible stage - the type of national stage that ended President Biden's political career less than three months ago.

She did so by being "exquisitely prepared," as former Trump debate coach Chris Christie described her, and by exploiting her opponent's well-documented triggers.

The result was a firehouse of angry rants and bizarre claims by Trump - including a baseless conspiracy theory about immigrants eating pet cats and dogs - that will fuel headlines and Democratic ads for weeks. ... ... ... Read more

Full Debate: Harris vs. Trump in 2024 Presidential Debate | WSJ | 09/11/24 | 1:49:25

Trump denies any link to Project 2025 under pressure from Harris
Axios | Erin Doherty | 09/11/24

Vice President Harris tied former President Trump to Project 2025 early in their contentious presidential debate, claiming he is preparing to unleash a dangerous agenda.

Why it matters: Trump has tried to distance himself from the conservative playbook in recent weeks, as Democrats repeatedly try to link him to it.

Project 2025, which proposes a dramatic expansion of executive branch power, is not an official Trump campaign platform, but it was created by several of the former president's allies.

In addition to giving the president unprecedented control over the federal bureaucracy, it calls for hardline positions on issues like abortion. ... Read more

Phase Two of Trump's Project 2025 | Powered By Rainbows | 09/07/24 | 21:55

Fall is getting warmer nationwide
Axios | Alex Fitzpatrick,Kavya Beheraj | 09/10/24

Fall is getting warmer across the continental U.S., a new analysis finds.

Why it matters: Warmer autumns mean more demand for cooling (and thus higher energy use), longer wildfire seasons, big changes for farmers and gardeners, etc.

Driving the news: Fall temperatures rose 2.5°F on average between 1970 and 2023 across 234 locations analyzed in a new Climate Central report.

The nonprofit climate research group's analysis is based on average temperatures between September and November of each year.

Zoom in: Reno (+7.7°F), El Paso (+6.1°F) and Las Vegas (+6.1°F) saw the biggest increases in average fall temperature among U.S. cities.

Between the lines: The fall trends are consistent with climate science findings showing how the planet is responding to human-caused increases in greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide. ... Read more

Swelling wildfires in California and Nevada force thousands to evacuate
Axios | Rebecca Falconer,Andrew Freedman | 09/10/24

Fast-moving wildfires in California and Nevada have left tens of thousands of people under mandatory evacuation orders, numerous structures threatened and air quality impacted, as a dangerous heat wave grips much of the Southwestern U.S.

The big picture: California Gov. Gavin Newsom activated the National Guard Monday in response to the massive Line Fire in San Bernardino County - one of seven large blazes in California and 67 large fires burning across the western U.S. as of Monday, per the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC).

Newsom proclaimed an emergency in San Bernardino County on Saturday over the fire that's left over 11,000 people under evacuation orders

Meanwhile, Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo declared an emergency Sunday in response to the Davis Fire, south of Reno, where evacuation orders affected some 20,000 people. ... Read more

Phase Two of Trump's Project 2025 | Powered By Rainbows | 09/07/24 | 21:55

The West Bank: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | 08/01/24 | 30:37

Behind the Curtain: Toss-up America
Axios | Jim VandeHei,Mike Allen | 09/09/24

In an election year, everyone acts like they're Nate Silver - a prognosticator with complex theories on who'll win the White House.

Why it matters: They all have something in common - they're full of it when expressing any confidence in any predictive outcomes.

The reason: You live in a toss-up nation, where every election brings coin-toss-close fights to run American government.

This has been true for nearly every election since 2000, and will likely remain true until a seismic shift alters our concrete 50-50 reality.

A big national poll of likely voters released Sunday by the N.Y. Times and Siena College showed a neck-and-neck race: Former President Trump leads Vice President Harris 48% to 47% - well within the margin of error (+- 2.8 points). ... Read more

Trump Takes Question After Question About The Economy, National Security, And More | Forbes | 09/06/24 | 18:57

Trump's debate playbook: Call the rules 'rigged' and undermine the moderators
Politico | Alex Isenstadt and Meridith McGraw | 09/09/24

Donald Trump is laying the foundation for a "rigged" debate on ABC News before he squares off with Kamala Harris.

In interviews, fundraising appeals, rallies, and posts on social media, the former president has repeatedly blasted the host network and accused its top talent of being biased against him. He's even accused the network, without evidence, of providing the questions in advance to the Harris campaign.

"ABC is the worst network in terms of fairness," Trump said during a Fox News town hall with Sean Hannity recently. "They're very nasty, and I think a lot of people are going to be watching to see how nasty and how unfair they are."

"Do you think ABC will give Kamala every question beforehand? We already know her liberal media cronies would do ANYTHING to keep her from getting embarrassed the same way Biden was!" Trump said in a fundraising appeal. "I'm coming into this at a disadvantage - taking on Crooked Kamala AND the Fake News - but with you in my ear, I'm NOT SCARED OF ANYTHING!"" ... Read more

The globe just had its hottest summer on record
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 09/06/24

The global average surface temperatures from June through August were the hottest on record, according to the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Why it matters: The period, which comprises summer in the Northern Hemisphere, brought a spate of extreme heat, wildfires and other extreme events.

Europe had its hottest summer on record, with deadly heat events repeatedly affecting Greece, Italy and Spain, along with wildfires.

Zoom in: Copernicus, an EU science center, now projects that 2024 will surpass 2023 as the globe's hottest year on record.

The planet had its hottest August on record, tied with the same month the year before.

Thirteen of the past 14 months have seen global average surface temperatures that exceeded 1.5°C above preindustrial levels, which is a key warming target under the Paris Agreement.

In July, the globe recorded a string of the four hottest days on record stretching back for at least 100,000 years. ... ... ... Read more

Climate Change | 60 Minutes Marathon| 2006-2022 | 3:55:02

Phoenix hits 100 days of 100° with no end to the streak in sight
Axios | Jessica Boehm,Andrew Freedman | 09/03/24

Phoenix has smashed heat record after heat record this summer and is on track to top some more as a deadly heat wave is forecast to arrive Wednesday.

Why it matters: Extreme heat is becoming increasingly common in Phoenix and the Southwest.

Heat contributed to 645 deaths in metro Phoenix last year. The Maricopa County Office of the Medical Examiner has already confirmed 177 heat-related deaths this year and is investigating another 436.

State of play: Phoenix hit 100° for the 100th day in a row Tuesday, and the streak has no end in sight. The previous 100-plus-degree streak was 76 days, set in 1993.

Phoenix's average temperature of the meteorological summer (June-August) was 98.9° - beating the record of 97° from last year, per National Weather Service Phoenix meteorologist Sean Benedict. ... Read more

4 dead, 9 hospitalized in shooting at Georgia high school
Axios | Kristal Dixon | 09/05/24

A 14-year-old Apalachee High School student has been charged with murder after four people died and nine others were injured in a shooting at the Winder, Georgia, school on Wednesday, officials said.

The big picture: Georgia Bureau of Investigation director Chris Hosey identified the suspected shooter as 14-year-old Colt Gray, and said he will be tried as an adult. Investigators believe the suspect used an "AR-platform-style weapon," Hosey said at a Wednesday night news conference.

Georgia authorities identified the two students killed in the shooting as Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, both 14-years-old, and math teachers Christina Irimie, 53, and Richard Aspinwall, 39, who was also an assistant football coach.

Of the additional nine people injured, the GBI said eight were students and one was a teacher. "We don't expect any more fatalities at this time," Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said at the Wednesday evening news conference. ... Read more

Scoop: U.S. and Israel quietly discuss options to cool tensions with Lebanon
Axios | Barak Ravid | 09/05/24

Senior officials from the U.S. and Israel held a low-profile virtual meeting on Tuesday to discuss how to ease tensions with Lebanon and prevent an all out war between Israel and Hezbollah, four Israeli and U.S. officials said.

Why it matters: The meeting, which hasn't been announced by the White House or the Israeli government, was initiated by the Biden administration to take the pulse on the Israeli side and coordinate their policies about the situation in Lebanon, officials said.

Driving the news: Ten days ago, Israel and Hezbollah engaged in the most extensive exchange of fire since the the Shia group attacked Israel on Oct. 8. ... Read more

Jail, MAGA lies & coup crimes: See 'Trump playbook' shredded in criminal court | MSNBC | 09/05/24 | 12:18

Behind the Curtain: America's most wanted
Axios | Mike Allen,Jim VandeHei | 09/04/24

In private, top advisers to Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump agree on three things:

Harris had a phenomenal month: record fundraising, little serious scrutiny, plus enthusiasm and party unity that few expected.

Trump had a rough month: a lackluster, at best, vice presidential rollout, and no lasting change in tone after surviving an on-camera assassination attempt.

Yet the race is within the polling margins of error in all seven swing states - Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia.

Why it matters: Each candidate will use the next 62 days to try to solidify and amplify several specific groups of voters.

The big picture: Harris has made progress toward restoring President Biden's winning coalition from 2020, which was imperiled when he was still the Democratic candidate. But Wall Street Journal polling shows Harris hasn't erased gains Trump had made among Black, Latino and young voters. ... ... ... Read more

Heat wave to scorch Southwest, West as wildfire concerns increase
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 09/04/24

After one of the hottest summers on record, many cities in the Southwest and West are preparing for a significant heat wave beginning midweek.

Threat level: A strong heat dome will send temperatures soaring into the 100s°F to 110s°F in Phoenix and Las Vegas, with triple-digit heat also affecting much of inland California.

Coming off the record hot and dry summer, wildfire risks are especially high in California and surrounding states.

This season has already brought the Park Fire, which stands as California's fourth-largest wildfire on record.

Oregon has also had a severe wildfire season, and it too will see dangerously hot temperatures combined with gusty, dry winds during this event. New fires ignited in central Oregon over Labor Day weekend from lightning strikes amid dry conditions. ... Read more

In Pursuit of Peace in Israel and Palestine by Gershom Baskin



Interview with Amy at DemocracyNow (see right column)

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects growing domestic and international calls to accept a Gaza ceasefire deal, we go to Jerusalem to speak to Gershon Baskin of the human rights advocacy group International Communities Organization. Baskin has spent years as a back-channel Israeli negotiator with Hamas in ceasefire deals, including throughout Israel's current war on Gaza. "It's very clear that Netanyahu doesn't want to end the war," says Baskin, who calls for all remaining stakeholders, including Hamas, the United States and Israeli protesters, to increase pressure on the defiant prime minister.

Mongolia declines to arrest Putin, defying ICC warrant
Axios | vana Saric | 09/03/24

Russian President Putin arrived in Mongolia Monday evening without incident - despite the host country being legally obligated to arrest him on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.

Why it matters: This is Putin's first visit to an ICC member nation since the court issued a warrant for his arrest last year for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

The warrant has complicated Putin's international travel plans. He skipped a summit in South Africa last year after it was issued. ... Read more

Gender gap widens in support for Harris vs. Trump: poll
Axios | Mike Allen | 09/03/24

Vice President Kamala Harris has widened her advantage among women, according to a new ABC News/Ipsos poll.

Why it matters: Harris' 18-point gender gap support over former President Trump is another indicator that November is set to be the "boys versus girls" election in both turnout and tone.

Among women, Harris leads by 13 points, 54%-41%.

Among men, former President Trump leads by 5 points, 51%-46% (not statistically significant).

Zoom out: The election has been defined by the masculinity and femininity on either side, including with policy, even before Harris became the Democrats' nominee. ... Read more

A third of K-12 students are behind grade level
Axios | Alex Fitzpatrick | 09/03/24

About a third of U.S. K-12 students this school year are behind grade level, according to a recent survey.

Why it matters: Schools are still dealing with the long-term effects of remote schooling and other pandemic-era learning disruptions.

How it works: The data, current as of the end of the 2023-24 school year, is from the School Pulse Panel, a monthly National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) survey of nearly 4,000 nationally representative grade schools.

For the June 2024 data, 1,651 of those schools responded.

The idea is to track key education metrics in near real time as teachers and administrators grapple with post-pandemic learning loss and other challenges. ... Read more