Thursday, June 30, 2016
Ha!
How funny.
Bleacher Report: Mike Ditka Declines Invitation to Speak at Donald Trump Convention By Mike Chiari
Bleacher Report: Mike Ditka Declines Invitation to Speak at Donald Trump Convention By Mike Chiari
The 1%
Ha! It's so funny, I hope this guy gets trounced in November.
Time: Poll Finds Grand Total of Donald Trump’s Support with Black Voters: 1%
Time: Poll Finds Grand Total of Donald Trump’s Support with Black Voters: 1%
Everybody Must Get Stoned
Science Daily: Cannabinoids remove plaque-forming Alzheimer's proteins from brain cells
summary - Scientists have found preliminary evidence that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other compounds found in marijuana can promote the cellular removal of amyloid beta, a toxic protein associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Butter!
Science Daily: Little to no association between butter consumption, chronic disease or total mortality
summary - An epidemiological study analyzing the association of butter consumption with chronic disease and mortality finds that butter was only weakly associated with total mortality, not associated with heart disease, and slightly inversely associated (protective) with diabetes.
81%
Guardian UK: Hillary Clinton has 81% chance of defeating Trump, Nate Silver predicts - Famed analyst accurately predicted state outcomes that led to Obama win in 2012 election but failed to foresee Trump becoming the Republican nominee
Last August, Silver rated Trump’s chances of winning the Republican nomination at 2%, and he remained bearish on Trump’s candidacy throughout the fall. The mistake, he has since admitted, sprang from a blindness to the very data he has made a career reading so well. The polls showing Trump’s strength were right; the nagging contextual information that Silver admitted he allowed get in the way – historical data, “gut” feelings about the candidate – was, in Trump’s unique case, highly misleading.
Could It Be Illegal
Guardian UK: Forget the politics – Brexit may be unlawful - Panic not: there are good reasons to believe the government’s decision to withdraw from the EU would not be legal, and that the UK is not going anywhere
For this reason, the courts are particularly firm in keeping public authorities within the limits of their powers. UK withdrawal from the EU would affect the legal situation of every person in the UK, and the legal situation of many other people elsewhere.
Global Warming - The Window Is Closed
Climate Home: Scientists: Window for avoiding 1.5C global warming ‘closed’
It is a blow for those living near the coast of Bangladesh or low-lying islands like Kiribati, which is preparing for an exodus as rising seas swallow homes.
Reich's Latest
Robert Reich: The Choice of Patriotism
Trump wants to reduce the highest income tax rate to 25 percent from today’s 39.6 percent. No matter that this would result in higher deficits or cuts in Social Security, Medicare and programs for the poor.
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. It is 70 degrees and sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley. The forecast predicts a gorgeous sunny day with temperatures in the 80s this afternoon. Well, we are at the end of another month, June flew by. The days are starting to tilt towards getting shorter little by little, believe it or not. What a month it's been, horrible massacres in Orlando and Turkey, the Brexit showing how clueless the British can be 9it's not just Americans), and of course our favorite piñata in the news, Mr. Orange. Speaking of Trump, the dear man is expressing his outrage over all those nasty GOpers who are avoiding him like the plague. Trump wants revenge. Take away their privileges he demands, send them to bed with no dinner. It should be very clear that Trump is very much about revenge.
At 8:40 a.m. ET futures are slightly higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open in the flat area.
I suspect investors are banking on the Brexit not happening. There's seems to be a lot of little hidden clauses that might make Britain actually leaving the EU a hard thing to do. Then there's this - World stocks poised for worst month since January.
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open by Ivana Kottasova
At 8:40 a.m. ET futures are slightly higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open in the flat area.
I suspect investors are banking on the Brexit not happening. There's seems to be a lot of little hidden clauses that might make Britain actually leaving the EU a hard thing to do. Then there's this - World stocks poised for worst month since January.
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open by Ivana Kottasova
Meanwhile, consumer confidence has slumped in the U.K. since the referendum, according to a poll by YouGov/Cebr. "Four days of uncertainty have wiped out the gains made over the last three years," YouGov said in a statement.
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Another Trump Scam
NYT: Trump Institute Offered Get-Rich Schemes With Plagiarized Lessons by JONATHAN MARTIN
Reality fell far short. In fact, the institute was run by a couple who had run afoul of regulators in dozens of states and had been dogged by accusations of deceptive business practices and fraud for decades. Similar complaints soon emerged about the Trump Institute.
Advice From Pema Chodron
"We can become so caught in our own internal dialogue that the people around us become invisible. An important part of meditation practice, therefore, is to non-aggressively drop that ongoing conversation in our head and joyfully come back to the present, being present in the body, being present in the mind, not envisioning the future or reliving the past but, if only briefly, showing up for this very moment."
Triple Threat
Rolling Stone: Things Are Even Worse for the GOP Than You Think - Republicans just faced crippling blows on abortion and Benghazi, while Trump continues to destroy the party By Jesse Berney
The deaths in Benghazi were a tragedy, but the record is clear: There was no order not to send in the military to help. There was no cover-up. No matter how desperately Republicans wish Clinton was somehow personally responsible for the attack, or engaged in some sort of campaign of lies in the aftermath, the facts — even those in the Republicans' own exhaustive report — don't back them up.
Ice And Snow
Science Daily: How water droplets freeze: The physics of ice and snow
summary - A team of Chinese researchers use computer simulations to provide new answers to a long-standing dispute in the field of material and chemical physics field regarding how water droplets freeze.
Supremely Conservative
NBC News: Conservative Justices Bemoan Court's Future by Irin Carmon
Kennedy, who this week was the deciding vote in leading the court to definitively strike down Texas's abortion restrictions, infuriated the court's three conservatives again by refusing to even take up a case pitting pharmacies' religious objections against access to contraception.
Benghazi, Benghazi
Guardian UK: House Benghazi report faults military response, not Clinton, for deaths - Panel chair Trey Gowdy concludes $7m investigation with 800-page report that accuses US of being slow to respond after 2012 attack was already under way
House Republicans investigating the 2012 terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya, have found no new evidence to conclude that Hillary Clinton, secretary of state at the time, was culpable in the deaths of four Americans, according to the committee’s final report released on Tuesday.
Homeless
AlterNet:
10 Things People Who Are Homeless Want You to Know About Their Lives - Separating truth from fiction. By Evelyn Nieves
Patricia Gonzalez, for example, took a bunch of pills and put a bag over her head about six months ago, “sick to death,” she said, of this world. But she woke up with the bag off—her dog had pushed it off her—and she realized that he needed her.
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. It is 66 degrees and sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley. The forecast predicts that the temperature will go into the 80s this afternoon and that it will be a mostly sunny day. A new Quinnipiac poll has Clinton and Trump neck and neck. Quinnipiac is not a highly regarded pollster, still that is uncomfortable. I think a Trump presidency would be a disaster. There's a lot to winning the presidency though and Clinton is still way ahead on organization and ground game, and in the long run that matters.
At 8:45 a.m. ET futures are significantly higher and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open higher.
Markets are rebounding from last week's Brexit vote. The attack in Turkey will no doubt affect tourism in that country. ISIS, they gotta go. Enjoy the stock market ride.
CNN: Stocks: 3 things to know before the open by Alanna Petroff
At 8:45 a.m. ET futures are significantly higher and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open higher.
Markets are rebounding from last week's Brexit vote. The attack in Turkey will no doubt affect tourism in that country. ISIS, they gotta go. Enjoy the stock market ride.
CNN: Stocks: 3 things to know before the open by Alanna Petroff
A summit of European Union leaders in Brussels continues on Wednesday. The meeting could provide more clues about Europe's plan to deal with the U.K. as it leaves the 28-member union.
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Four
WaPo: The GOP is in a very tough fight to keep the Senate. These ad reservations prove it. By Aaron Blake
Potentially conceding one or even two states, of course, would not be ideal for Republicans. They can afford to lose four seats — or five if they can pick off a Democratic seat in Nevada. But once Republicans lose a net of four seats, they would lose control of the Senate — assuming Hillary Clinton wins the presidential election at the same time. (For what it's worth, it's unlikely the GOP would lose four Senate seats if Trump were winning the presidency, so four is really the magic number here.)
Garbage
Seems fitting to me...
Raw Story: Trump is giving a speech in front of a massive garbage pile and the internet can’t stop laughing
Raw Story: Trump is giving a speech in front of a massive garbage pile and the internet can’t stop laughing
'To Shreds'
Trump is about to get flattened by a massive steam roller.
CBS News: Progressive groups prepare to tear Trump to shreds
CBS News: Progressive groups prepare to tear Trump to shreds
"We see Donald Trump as a potential disaster for our climate and our air and water and public land so our members are more fired up than they have ever been during any presidential election," Brune added (Sierra Club).
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Science Daily: Chronic fatigue syndrome is in your gut, not your head
summary - Physicians have been mystified by chronic fatigue syndrome, a condition where normal exertion leads to debilitating fatigue that isn't alleviated by rest. There are no known triggers, and diagnosis requires lengthy tests administered by an expert. Now, for the first time, researchers report they have identified biological markers of the disease in gut bacteria and inflammatory microbial agents in the blood.
Two Steps Backwards
Guardian UK: 69m children will die of preventable causes, says Unicef - UN children’s agency report highlights toll on youngsters by 2030 unless world leaders turn rhetoric into reality on fighting poverty
...Unicef also says 750 million women will have been married as children by 2030...
Hate
Guardian UK: Cameron condemns xenophobic and racist abuse after Brexit vote - PM says government ‘will not tolerate intolerance’ after reported spike in hate crimes and abuse after EU referendum
Police believe there has been an increase in hate crimes and community tensions since last week’s referendum. Initial figures show an increase of 57% in reported incidents between Thursday and Sunday compared with the same days four weeks earlier, the National Police Chiefs’ Council said – 85 incidents were reported compared with 54 during the earlier period.
Global Warming - Water In California
Climate Central: ‘Water Windfall’ Found in Drought-Stricken California
But tapping that water, locked thousands of feet beneath the ground, will be expensive and comes with an enormous risk — it could cause the valley floor to sink, according to the study, published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. It is 70 degrees and overcast here in the Upper Hudson Valley. The forecast predicts temperatures in the 80s this afternoon and that we get some rain. We do need the rain. I would say progressives scored a few large victories on Monday. The Pope came out with a call for a Catholic Church apology to gay people, the Supreme Court struck down Texas' new archaic abortion law, and we got to see how effective Elizabeth Warren is as a presidential surrogate for Hillary Clinton. Warren was all that and then some. I would not be surprised if she does get the nod to be VP.
At 8:10 a.m. ET futures are significantly higher and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open much higher.
The horrendous decision by the British people to leave the EU has left markets in shambles, witness Friday and Monday. Essentially a few fast talking flim flam artists convinced the country to shoot itself in the foot. The fallout from the Brexit has been extreme and this morning we are witnessing a respite from that extreme. The respite will not continue.
CNN: Breather after Brexit: U.S. stocks expected to rise by Ivana Kottasova
At 8:10 a.m. ET futures are significantly higher and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open much higher.
The horrendous decision by the British people to leave the EU has left markets in shambles, witness Friday and Monday. Essentially a few fast talking flim flam artists convinced the country to shoot itself in the foot. The fallout from the Brexit has been extreme and this morning we are witnessing a respite from that extreme. The respite will not continue.
CNN: Breather after Brexit: U.S. stocks expected to rise by Ivana Kottasova
Global markets lost $3 trillion on Friday and Monday, the worst two-day rout on record. Major banking stocks have been particularly hard hit, and they're among the biggest winners in premarket trading Tuesday.
Monday, June 27, 2016
Abortion
NBC News: Supreme Court Strikes Down Strict Texas Abortion Law by Pete Williams
The Supreme Court: The decision
The Supreme Court: The decision
'Lack Of Interest'
Looks like it's going to be a family affair...
Politico: Hardly anybody wants to speak at Trump's convention - POLITICO reached out to more than 50 prominent Republicans. Few said they plan to attend the convention in Cleveland, let alone speak. By Alex Isenstadt
Politico: Hardly anybody wants to speak at Trump's convention - POLITICO reached out to more than 50 prominent Republicans. Few said they plan to attend the convention in Cleveland, let alone speak. By Alex Isenstadt
The widespread lack of interest, Republicans say, boils down to one thing: the growing consensus that it’s best to steer clear of Trump.
It’s also expected that Trump’s children, including daughter Ivanka and sons Eric and Donald Jr., will get prime-time spots. The three have emerged as Trump’s most vocal surrogates.
Sound The Alarm
The Hill: Juan Williams: GOP sounds the sirens over Trump
Already, polls show Republican incumbent senators in Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, and New Hampshire are likely to lose their reelection bids to Democrats.
The Elephantnose Fish
Science Daily: Small brain, astounding performance: How elephantnose fish switch between electrical, visual sense
summary - The elephantnose fish explores objects in its surroundings by using its eyes or its electrical sense -- sometimes both together. Zoologists have now found out how complex the processing of these sensory impressions is. With its tiny brain, the fish achieves performance comparable to that of humans or mammals.
Clinton
Most news space is taken up by every single mostly unimpressive utterance from Trump. Clinton gets little space and this linked article is rather thin. It's likely but not certain she will be the next president so we need to read what she is up to.
NBC News: Clinton Says 'We Will Bounce Back' From U.K.'s Brexit Vote, Bashes Trump by Elisha Fieldstadt and Monica Alba
NBC News: Clinton Says 'We Will Bounce Back' From U.K.'s Brexit Vote, Bashes Trump by Elisha Fieldstadt and Monica Alba
'Sidewalk Labs, A Secretive Subsidiary Of Alphabet'
Guardian UK: Secretive Alphabet division aims to fix public transit in US by shifting control to Google - Exclusive: Documents reveal Sidewalk Labs is offering cloud software Flow to Columbus, Ohio, to upgrade bus and parking services – and bring them under Google’s management
Its high-tech services, which it calls “new superpowers to extend access and mobility”, could make it easier to drive and park in cities and create hybrid public/private transit options that rely heavily on ride-share services such as Uber. But they might also gut traditional bus services and require cities to invest heavily in Google’s own technologies, experts fear.
It's A Mess
Guardian UK: Pound hits new 31-year low, as Brexit fears grip markets – business live
Britain’s decision to vote to Leave the European Union has forced investors to tear up some long-held beliefs.
That includes the idea that major advanced European economies are safer than developing markets.
Global Warming - Arctic Ice, Red Algae
Nature World News: Consequences of Global Warming: Why the Arctic's Strange Pink Snow is Something We Should Be Scared About By Monica Antonio
They (red algae) accelerate the melting rate by reducing the glaciers' albedo effect by as much as 13 percent. The albedo effect is a process of glaciers to keep the earth cool by reflecting sunlight. However, as these red algae populate the surface, the glacier surfaces' ability to reflect sunlight decreases.
Robot Revolution
AlterNet: Robot Takeover? Get Creative, Chomsky Says - We can't predict when robots will replace us, but it may be sooner than you expect. By Alexandra Rosenmann
"If it’s used to free up the workforce for more creative work, say controlling production, making decisions about it, finding creative ways to act and so on, then it’s for the good," Chomsky explained. "If it’s used to maximize profit and throw people into the trash can, then it’s not good."
A Brief History Of America's Recent Political Use Of Violence
AlterNet: What Democrats Need to Know About Violence at Trump Rallies - Does rioting make Trump stronger? By Rick Perlstein
He (Trump) is the pig on the platter. Let him stew in his own blood. The public recognizes the chaos of which he is author, and they are turning away in disgust.
The Market On Monday
Good morning. It is 73 degrees and hazy cloudy here in the Upper Hudson Valley. The forecast predicts that the temperature will go into the 80s this afternoon and that it will probably rain today as well. I hope you had a good weekend. Let's take a look at the news and see what type of head shaking mischief humanity is up to.
At 8:50 a.m. ET futures are significantly lower and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly lower.
Unfortunately, Britain voted to leave the E.U. last Thursday. The fallout from this calamitous and poorly conceived decision continues today. On Friday the DOW dropped over 600 points instantly slicing off nearly $1 Trillion in equities value in the US alone. That would translate to every single US citizen, including newborns, being roughly $3,000 poorer. Today's losses will probably not be as great maybe more like $500 for every single US citizen. Any politician who is applauding this Brexit vote, has virtually no understanding of global markets, that can be said with 100% certainty.
CNN: U.S. stocks: Uncertainty after Brexit by Rich Barbieri
At 8:50 a.m. ET futures are significantly lower and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly lower.
Unfortunately, Britain voted to leave the E.U. last Thursday. The fallout from this calamitous and poorly conceived decision continues today. On Friday the DOW dropped over 600 points instantly slicing off nearly $1 Trillion in equities value in the US alone. That would translate to every single US citizen, including newborns, being roughly $3,000 poorer. Today's losses will probably not be as great maybe more like $500 for every single US citizen. Any politician who is applauding this Brexit vote, has virtually no understanding of global markets, that can be said with 100% certainty.
CNN: U.S. stocks: Uncertainty after Brexit by Rich Barbieri
The pound, which on Friday crashed to a three-decade low, fell another 3.6% on Monday. Oil dropped on Friday, but it bounced back slightly.
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Closed Sundays
The blog is closed on Sundays. See you bright and early Monday morning.
work by Bill Traylor
work by Bill Traylor
Mia Love
The plot is starting to thicken by the minute lately, it just keeps getting better and better.
The Hill: Mia Love to skip GOP convention
The Hill: Mia Love to skip GOP convention
Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah) said Friday she will skip this summer's GOP convention, just hours after a former Donald Trump adviser mentioned her as a possible running mate.
George Will Opts Out Of GOP!
Wow! I'm speechless.
Hot Air: George Will exits the GOP
Hot Air: George Will exits the GOP
Conservative columnist George Will told PJM he has officially left the Republican Party and urged conservatives not to support presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump even if it leads to a Democratic victory in the 2016 presidential election. Will, who writes for the Washington Post, acknowledged it is a “little too late” for the Republican Party to find a replacement for Trump but had a message for Republican voters.
Scared
NY Times: Aziz Ansari: Why Trump Makes Me Scared for My Family
The vitriolic and hate-filled rhetoric coming from Mr. Trump isn’t so far off from cursing at strangers from a car window. He has said that people in the American Muslim community “know who the bad ones are,” implying that millions of innocent people are somehow complicit in awful attacks. Not only is this wrongheaded; but it also does nothing to address the real problems posed by terrorist attacks. By Mr. Trump’s logic, after the huge financial crisis of 2007-08, the best way to protect the American economy would have been to ban white males.
Rock Blobs
Science Daily: Giant Blobs of Rock, Deep Inside the Earth, Hold Important Clues About Our Planet
summary - Two massive blob-like structures lie deep within the Earth, roughly on opposite sides of the planet. The two structures, each the size of a continent and 100 times taller than Mount Everest, sit on the core, 1,800 miles deep, and about halfway to the center of the Earth. Researchers suggest these blobs are made of something different from the rest of Earth's mantle, and are determined to figure out what that is.
TRNN - How Western Military Interventions Shaped The Brexit Vote
It's an interesting clip. I do not agree with this guy's summation. Essentially he's trying to place the blame for the Brexit on Hillary Clinton. That's a little bit of a stretch.
Hyper Fears
Guardian UK: Trump and Brexit: parallel campaigns built on fear, anger and charisma - There are similarities between Trump’s Latino-and-Muslim-free vision of the US and ‘Leave’ campaign driver Nigel Farage’s goal to cleanse the UK of refugees
Despite this, both have shown an uncanny ability to appeal to the working man – mostly by stoking fears about immigration. Trump thinks Mexico is sending rapists to the US. Farage hasn’t been as clear about what he thinks the European Union is sending to the UK, but the fact he has been hawking a billboard showing a line of thousands of huddled, dark-skinned refugees offers a clue.
Brexit
Guardian UK: UK still ‘indispensable’ ally, says US, but new status uncertain - White House restates position that UK is now at back of the queue for trade deals, as world leaders react to Brexit vote
Russia’s presidential business ombudsman, Boris Titov, said: “Leaving will tear the EU away from the Anglo-Saxons, that is from the US.” And reacting to sterling’s slide on the foreign exchanges, a Russian state TV anchor observed drily: “It’s no joke: the pound is the new rouble.”
Global Warming - California's 30 Million Dead Trees
Climate Central: Dead Trees Adding to California Firefighters’ Battle
California recently bought $6 million worth of chippers, mobile sawmills, portable incinerators and other equipment to help its firefighters remove some of the nearly 30 million trees that now stand dead across the state, killed by drought and insects.
Woa
I'm posting this article under the guise of it being something amusing. However, one must also recognize that our great Trumpetariat, the vast black shirt army of America's Trump supporters, is equally as absurdly informed as our dear Sarah.
AlterNet: Sarah Palin Is an Idiot About the Brexit, Too - Not sure how to respond to the Brexit? Let Sarah Palin be your guide for what not to think. By Elizabeth Preza
AlterNet: Sarah Palin Is an Idiot About the Brexit, Too - Not sure how to respond to the Brexit? Let Sarah Palin be your guide for what not to think. By Elizabeth Preza
Friday, June 24, 2016
Lawsuit
NBC News: Could Delegate's New Lawsuit Derail Trump's Nomination? by Alexandra Jaffe
They argue that state laws requiring delegates to vote for a specific candidate are unconstitutional, on the grounds that they violate the First Amendment's protection of the right to assemble — and that delegates to the national convention should be allowed to vote for whomever they please.
Dumbest
Raw Story: Here are the 5 dumbest reactions by nutters to the Brexit vote
5. Todd Starnes tries to incite “Texit” supporters
Milo Moiré - 'Mirror Box'
Performance artist Milo Moiré allows people to touch her private parts as her way to make a point about sexual consent. Truthfully, I have to think about this one. But, she is certainly attracting attention and a crowd.
Yes, Please, Dump, Dump
Please, lots of dumping.
NYT: Dump-Trump Group to Show Ad Aimed at G.O.P. Delegates By JEREMY W. PETERS
NYT: Dump-Trump Group to Show Ad Aimed at G.O.P. Delegates By JEREMY W. PETERS
U.S. Workers Lose With Brexit Yet Trump Cheers
WaPo: The critical fact Trump forgot in his viral speech on Brexit By Max Ehrenfreund
When other currencies become less expensive relative to the dollar, as was the case with the pound Thursday night, Americans benefit in other ways. Goods produced abroad become cheaper, meaning reduced prices at department stores and groceries. Yet U.S. manufacturing and U.S. workers, whose interests Trump has pledged to champion on the stump, lose business.
Misery
Politico: British voters unleash a trans-Atlantic tsunami - And it's headed for American shores. By Joseph J. Schatz and Ben White
A new recession, if it happens, could hand Trump a political gift — allowing him to bash Obama and by extension Clinton for driving the U.S. economy into a ditch. Never mind that Obama lobbied against a Brexit, and Trump cheered it on.
Ill Timed
Trump praised Scotland for the Brexit, unaware that Scotland voted for England to stay in the E.U. Hey he's on a golf trip, so it's par for the course.
BBC: Donald Trump's trip to UK perfectly ill-timed
BBC: Donald Trump's trip to UK perfectly ill-timed
Another Defection - Robert Kagan
FP: Exclusive: Prominent GOP Neoconservative to Fundraise for Hillary Clinton
Robert Kagan, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a co-founder of the Project for the New American Century, will speak at a Hillary for America fundraiser in Washington’s Logan Circle neighborhood on July 21.
WTF?
Okay, just read the two headlines, one from ABC News, one from CNN, and then ask yourself, what is this ass doing.
ABC News: Donald Trump Praises Brexit Voters for Taking 'Their Country Back'
CNN: Trump blames Obama for Brexit - Donald Trump says that UK's vote to leave the European Union "might have been different" if President Obama had not voiced his support for EU unity.
ABC News: Donald Trump Praises Brexit Voters for Taking 'Their Country Back'
CNN: Trump blames Obama for Brexit - Donald Trump says that UK's vote to leave the European Union "might have been different" if President Obama had not voiced his support for EU unity.
Older And Choosier
Science Daily: Aging monkeys become more selective regarding their social circle
summary - As people get older, they become choosier about how they spend their time and with whom they spend it. Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on June 23 find, based on a series of experimental and behavioral studies, that similar changes take place in Barbary macaques. The findings offer an evolutionary perspective on why aging humans behave as they do, according to the researchers.
Boris
Guardian UK: Boris Johnson favourite to replace David Cameron as PM after Brexit - Leave campaign leader heads list which also includes Theresa May, Nicky Morgan, Priti Patel and Dominic Raab
The former London mayor and leader of the leave campaign took an early lead with the bookmakers after years of speculation about his ambitions to succeed David Cameron.It's the year of the wild haired fascist nationalists...
Scramble
Guardian UK: EU referendum live: Johnson says no rush for Brexit as Cameron quits
The Norwegian minister said it was unclear what sort of association the UK will want to have with the EU, and not least what sort of arrangement the other EU member states will offer the UK after it leaves. According to Aspaker, if a new agreement between the EU and the UK is not in place before the UK formally withdraws from the EU, trade with the UK will be governed by the World Trade Organisation rules.
Be Concerned
With Britain leaving the EU, it occurs that Trump could actually win. This wave of nationalism, with it's vast thick layer of ignorance and hateful emotions, racism, sexism, all that, just got a big boost. Look I don't have a glowing report on Hillary Clinton although I do tend to believe her 'reputation' has been strongly shaped by decades of GOP super pacs taking direct aim at her. I mean Trump's recent anti-Hillary speech was something somebody created in a heated nightmare, pure fantasy. These Bernie supporters that will not vote for Clinton, okay, let's be clear, you're idiots.
The Market On Friday
This is terrible. A wave of nationalism is sweeping the globe. It's fear, it's stupidity, and Donald Trump is America's titular head of virulent US strain of it. You can't hide from this one, there's isn't a safe haven.
At 7:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are down over 500 points and the price of oil per barrel is down over $3 a barrel. The market is going to shed lots and lots of equity value at the opening bell.
Hey, at least you don't live in Britain, because if you did, your money would be worth pennies on the dollar, maybe slightly better than that. The British shoot themselves in the foot and like it. Sound familiar?
CNN: Dow futures down 500 points after shock U.K. referendum by Alanna Petroff and Patrick Gillespie
At 7:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are down over 500 points and the price of oil per barrel is down over $3 a barrel. The market is going to shed lots and lots of equity value at the opening bell.
Hey, at least you don't live in Britain, because if you did, your money would be worth pennies on the dollar, maybe slightly better than that. The British shoot themselves in the foot and like it. Sound familiar?
CNN: Dow futures down 500 points after shock U.K. referendum by Alanna Petroff and Patrick Gillespie
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq look set to plunge 3.5%.
The U.K. is America's seventh biggest trading partner.
Hold Onto Your Hats
This is shocking. This is really really bad.
Guardian UK: Britain has voted to leave the EU – what happens next? After rejecting the union, Brexiters must choose between an exit from the single market and a half-in, half-out purgatory
Guardian UK: Britain has voted to leave the EU – what happens next? After rejecting the union, Brexiters must choose between an exit from the single market and a half-in, half-out purgatory
The UK’s historic decision to end its 43-year love-hate relationship with the European Union represents a turning point in British history to rank alongside the two world wars of the 20th century.
On the assumption there is no turning back, or collective buyer’s remorse, Britain will live with the political, constitutional, diplomatic and economic consequences for a decade or more.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
'A Very Dark Path'
HuffPo: 56 Successful Business Leaders, Including Republicans, Now Back Hillary Clinton - Apparently, “The Apprentice” didn’t sell them on Donald Trump’s management skills.
“I’ve supported every Republican Presidential candidate since 1976, and was honored to work for two of them,” said Jim Cicconi, senior executive vice president of AT&T Services, Inc., in a statement released by the Clinton campaign. “But this year I think it’s vital to put our country’s wellbeing ahead of party. Hillary Clinton is experienced, qualified, and will make a fine President. The alternative, I fear, would set our Nation on a very dark path.”
Fringe
Oregon Live: For Trump, fringe conspiracies take center stage: Dana Milbank
Trump's dystopia is frequently at odds with reality here on earth. He and his followers live in a dark place where life ranges from bad to horrible, conspiracies abound and allegation passes for truth.
Great
NBC News: In Trump U. Lawsuit Deposition, Trump Can't Remember 'World's Greatest Memory' Boast
"I don't remember," Trump told lawyers 35 times during his December testimony, which was released on Wednesday.
Demand
LA Times: Bernie Sanders lists convention demands, notably leaving out some big items
Notably missing from Sanders' published list: any mention of his plan for universal healthcare, a $15 minimum wage or a change in U.S. policy toward Israel and the Palestinians, each of which has loomed as potential stumbling blocks in achieving unity between the rival Democratic camps.
IS In Trouble
BBC: Islamic State conflict: The Libyans gaining ground in Sirte
IS can no longer get larger boats in and out of the harbour. Sirte was to be the Islamic State's bolt-hole from its bases in Iraq and Syria. But here, as in their home territories, the militants are losing.
Libya's pro-government forces are gaining ground.
Tim Kaine
Kaine is the junior US Senator from Virginia.
Politico: Kaine rises to top of Clinton's veep list - The selection process is colored by new uncertainty among Democrats about whether Trump will be the GOP nominee. By Annie Karni and Gabriel Debenedetti
Politico: Kaine rises to top of Clinton's veep list - The selection process is colored by new uncertainty among Democrats about whether Trump will be the GOP nominee. By Annie Karni and Gabriel Debenedetti
More Trump Failure
MSNBC: Trump’s Scottish trip is a bigger mistake than he realizes
[T]o many people in Scotland, his course here has been a failure. Over the past decade, Trump has battled with homeowners, elbowed his way through the planning process, shattered relationships with elected leaders and sued the Scottish government. On top of that, he has yet to fulfill the lofty promises he made.
Trump has also reported to Scottish authorities that he lost millions of dollars on the project – even as he claims on U.S. presidential disclosure forms that the course has been highly profitable.
'Incoherent Adolescent'
Salon: How to beat Donald Trump: The simple playbook that will lead to his political demise - When the press aggressively challenges him, Trump turns into an incoherent adolescent — that will be his undoing by Steve Almond
As Mark Bowden has deftly observed, Trump’s essential nature is adolescent. Beneath his glib persona, he’s vain, defensive, and terrified of being unmanned. The way to take him down is not to debate him, or fact-check him, but to rattle that fragile ego of his—to goad him.
Much Lower
NYT: How Low Can the G.O.P. Go? by Thomas B. Edsall
It’s still possible, however, that Trump — who has successfully tapped a reservoir of right-populist conviction — could yet prefigure the revival of a conservative movement, just as Senator Barry Goldwater kicked off a long Republican reign even as he went down to a landslide defeat in 1964.
Onion
NPR: The Science Of Why Onions Make Us Cry
But also, it's because of a chemical irritant called syn-propanethial-S-oxide, says chemist Eric Block, who has written the authoritative book on onions — and other alliums.
Tridymite
Science Daily: NASA scientists discover unexpected mineral on Mars
summary - Scientists have discovered an unexpected mineral in a rock sample at Gale Crater on Mars, a finding that may alter our understanding of how the planet evolved.
Shame
NBC News: Democrats Continue Gun Control Sit-In as Paul Ryan Adjourns House by Phil Helsel, Alex Moe, Luke Russert and F. Brinley Bruton
As Ryan left the chair, they chanted: "Shame! Shame!"
Nigeria
Guardian UK: More than 1,200 die of starvation and illness at Nigeria refugee camp - Médecins Sans Frontières finds ‘catastrophic humanitarian emergency’ at Bama camp for people fleeing Boko Haram
More than 15,000 people have been killed and 2 million displaced in Nigeria and neighbouring Chad, Niger and Cameroon during Boko Haram’s seven-year insurgency, in which the group has tried to create a state adhering to sharia law.
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. It is 66 degrees and it is sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley. The forecast predicts a sunny day with temperatures in the low 80s this afternoon. This neck of the woods is experiencing a solid period of paradise, we are living in paradise.
At 9:00 a.m. ET futures are significantly higher and the price of oil per barrel is up The market is poised to open significantly higher.
Today we learn if Britain brexits or does not brexit. The vote tally comes through later this afternoon and with it so goes a lot of global equities value along with all currency values. A vote to leave the E.U. will throw the enter viability of the E.U. as an ongoing entity into question. Either way a very strong strain of nationalism is sweeping the globe. Pay attention to that.
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open by Alanna Petroff
At 9:00 a.m. ET futures are significantly higher and the price of oil per barrel is up The market is poised to open significantly higher.
Today we learn if Britain brexits or does not brexit. The vote tally comes through later this afternoon and with it so goes a lot of global equities value along with all currency values. A vote to leave the E.U. will throw the enter viability of the E.U. as an ongoing entity into question. Either way a very strong strain of nationalism is sweeping the globe. Pay attention to that.
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open by Alanna Petroff
The result, expected hours after the polls close at 5 pm ET, could power strong global market reactions.
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
GOPee Care
Slate: Republicans Left the Single Most Important Detail Out of Their Plan to Replace Obamacare By Jordan Weissmann
The GOP plan does not spell out how much Americans can expect to receive in tax credits to buy coverage. Instead, it merely says that, "Given the increased flexibility in the insurance market, the new fixed credit would be large enough to purchase the typical pre-Obamacare health insurance plan.” This is vague to the point of meaninglessness.
To Dump Or Not To Dump
Five Thirty Eight: ‘Dump Trump’ Is Doomed, But We Can’t Take Our Eyes Off It
CNN had a poll out on Tuesday showing only 51 percent of Republicans would choose Trump versus 48 percent who would choose another nominee, but you cannot beat someone with no one.
Saturn's Moon Enceladus
Science Daily: An ocean lies a few kilometers beneath Saturn's moon Enceladus's icy surface
summary - With eruptions of ice and water vapor, and an ocean covered by an ice shell, Saturn's moon Enceladus is one of the most fascinating in the Solar System, especially as interpretations of data provided by the Cassini spacecraft have been contradictory until now. Astronomers recently proposed a new model that reconciles different data sets and shows that the ice shell at Enceladus's south pole may be only a few kilometers thick. This suggests that there is a strong heat source in the interior of Enceladus, an additional factor supporting the possible emergence of life in its ocean.
Digital Trump
Yet, right now Trump is running neck and neck with Clinton in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Be scared.
Guardian UK: From cash woes to digital #fails, Trump's campaign is 'worst of all possible worlds' - He may rule Twitter, but there is no evidence that the presumptive GOP nominee is building the digital fundraising and volunteer network he needs to win
Guardian UK: From cash woes to digital #fails, Trump's campaign is 'worst of all possible worlds' - He may rule Twitter, but there is no evidence that the presumptive GOP nominee is building the digital fundraising and volunteer network he needs to win
The filings for May also revealed a bizarre set of spending priorities. Instead of using his paltry income to bolster a modern campaigning machine ahead of November, Trump spent large amounts on his own properties, including $423,372 to rent his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, and a further $207,869 on Make America Great Again hats.
Wildfires
No doubt the years and years of drought are a significant contributing factor.
Guardian UK: Wildfires raging near LA are ‘0% contained’, say authorities - A searing heatwave and rugged terrain have hindered firefighter efforts to tackle two blazes burning out of control in the Angeles national forest
Guardian UK: Wildfires raging near LA are ‘0% contained’, say authorities - A searing heatwave and rugged terrain have hindered firefighter efforts to tackle two blazes burning out of control in the Angeles national forest
The south coast air quality management district said the warning level on its air quality index was red. “Most important recommendation for anyone who can see or smell smoke is avoid outdoor activity and the stay indoors, use air conditioning system on recirculation mode, if available,” said Tina Cox, a spokeswoman.
Global Warming - Food
BBC: New crop varieties 'can't keep up with global warming'
A study says temperatures are rising faster than the development of crop varieties that can cope with a warmer world.
Keeping It In The Family Business
AlterNet: 20 Percent of Trump Campaign Spending Is Going to ... Donald Trump - The Donald always makes sure to pay himself. By Elizabeth Preza
And amazingly, as much as 20 percent of the Trump campaign’s May expenses—over $6 million—went to Trump-owned businesses or to his children.
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. It is a refreshing 63 degrees and it is sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley. The forecast predicts a pleasant sunny day with temperatures in the high 70s this afternoon. We are learning more and more about Trump's finances in relation to his presidential campaign. Trump is siphoning campaign money into his business ventures giving the world the impression that what he is ultimately doing is adding value to the Trump business empire. It's an amazing con job, and the most distressing aspect of it is how so many Americans are so utterly willing to lay down for it. What is this country becoming.
At 9:00 a.m. ET futures are modestly higher and the price of oil per barrel is now once again over $50. The market is poised to open modestly higher.
Two of the stronger influences that are affecting this morning's mood are more upcoming words from Janet Yellen and concerns over Thursday's Brexit vote. We could very easily see the market explode in the next day or two, or we could see it implode. A vote which would take Britain out of the E.U. would cost a very pretty penny to the global investment world.
CNN: Stocks: 4 things to know before the open by Alanna Petroff
At 9:00 a.m. ET futures are modestly higher and the price of oil per barrel is now once again over $50. The market is poised to open modestly higher.
Two of the stronger influences that are affecting this morning's mood are more upcoming words from Janet Yellen and concerns over Thursday's Brexit vote. We could very easily see the market explode in the next day or two, or we could see it implode. A vote which would take Britain out of the E.U. would cost a very pretty penny to the global investment world.
CNN: Stocks: 4 things to know before the open by Alanna Petroff
Investors are waiting for another round of testimony from the head of the Federal Reserve, Janet Yellen. They're also pausing for breath before the U.K.'s historic referendum Thursday on whether to exit the European Union.
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
Lionel Sosa
NBC: Opinion: GOP Giant Leaves Party, Latino Outreach on Life Support by Stephen A. Nuño
Longtime GOP consultant and supporter Lionel Sosa, a noted advertising executive and publisher who is considered a grandfather of sorts to Latino Republicans...announced that he was leaving the Republican Party.My San Antonio: Farewell, my Grand Old Party by Lionel Sosa
Instead of “Tear down this wall,” the party promotes a new and bigger wall. A thousand points of light has been replaced by a thousand points of anger. In place of compassionate conservatism, our nominee promotes callousness, extremism and racism. And instead of a unifier, the party now cheers the ultimate “us against them” proponent. Divisiveness incarnate.
Trump's Latest Neck Anchor
NY Daily News: California woman's rape lawsuit against Donald Trump resurfaces in New York court
But the complaint’s core allegations remain unchanged, that Trump and Epstein sexually assaulted an underage girl at a series of Manhattan sex parties Epstein hosted in 1994.
Politics, Guns, And Money
From a deep operative
New Yorker: Making a Killing - The business and politics of selling guns. By Evan Osnos
New Yorker: Making a Killing - The business and politics of selling guns. By Evan Osnos
More American civilians have died by gunfire in the past decade than all the Americans who were killed in combat in the Second World War.
'Someone So Plainly Unprepared, Unreliable And Unfit'
The Chicago Tribune is regarded as a paper with a conservative bent.
Chicago Tribune: Time for a Republican mutiny: GOP delegates can save their party from Trump
Chicago Tribune: Time for a Republican mutiny: GOP delegates can save their party from Trump
The GOP has never nominated someone so plainly unprepared, unreliable and unfit. Most party figures act as though they have no choice. But they do. A group of delegates is organizing an effort called "Free the Delegates." They propose to change party rules to let them vote for whomever they want — regardless of how their states' caucuses and primaries turned out — and they claim already to have enlisted several hundred delegates and alternates.
Tweetle Dumb
Five Thirty Eight: The World’s Favorite Donald Trump Tweets By Leah Libresco
I want to do negative ads on John Kasich, but he is so irrelevant to the race that I don’t want to waste my money.
Cannabis Use During Pregnancy
Science Daily: Cannabis use during pregnancy may affect brain development in offspring: Thicker prefrontal cortex
summary - Cannabis use during pregnancy is associated with abnormal brain structure in children, according to a new study. Compared with unexposed children, those who were prenatally exposed to cannabis had a thicker prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain involved in complex cognition, decision-making, and working memory.
San Diego Sex Trafficking
Guardian UK: San Diego sex trafficking industry worth $800m annually, federal report finds - Figure is eight times higher than previous estimate, alarming researchers and law enforcement as between 3,000 and 8,000 victims enter industry yearly
Sex trafficking, defined as the trade in which someone has been forced, coerced or tricked into prostitution, involves some 110 gangs just in San Diego County, dubbed one of 13 hot spots for child sex trafficking in the US by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
We Are Screwed
Guardian UK: America's gun problem is so much bigger than mass shootings - To save the most number of lives, it’s the everyday violence – not just the mass shootings – that we need to prevent by Lois Beckett , Rich Harris, Nadja Popovich, Jan Diehm and Mona Chalabi
In the US, more than 10,000 Americans will likely be killed in gun murders this year. Another 20,000 will likely be lost to gun suicide. The total number of gun deaths and violent injuries will be close to 100,000.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. It is 70 degrees, breezy, and sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley. The forecast predicts a sunny day and that temperatures will get up near 80 degrees this afternoon. Last night we experienced a rare full moon, one that occurs on the first day of Summer, making it a 'Strawberry Full Moon'. We are learning more and more about Trump's presidential campaign and it's organization or rather it's lack there of. Trump is low down on funds and it appears that his family was behind the firing of Lewandowski. I'm sorry to see Corey go as up to this point he was running the campaign perfectly from my point of view, that would be perfectly into the ground. Hopefully his replacement is equally adept at recreating that same type of momentum.
At 8:50 a.m. ET futures are modestly higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open modestly higher.
Investors are still working on the no Brexit sentiment. The official vote occurs on Thursday and one can only speculate that if upon hearing the official word that the Brexit will not occur, the market will explode. Janet Yellen appears in Washington DC this morning and whenever the Fed chair speaks, the global investment community carefully and attentively listens. A base interest rate hike is not expected at this time.
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open by Alanna Petroff
At 8:50 a.m. ET futures are modestly higher and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open modestly higher.
Investors are still working on the no Brexit sentiment. The official vote occurs on Thursday and one can only speculate that if upon hearing the official word that the Brexit will not occur, the market will explode. Janet Yellen appears in Washington DC this morning and whenever the Fed chair speaks, the global investment community carefully and attentively listens. A base interest rate hike is not expected at this time.
CNN: Stocks: 5 things to know before the open by Alanna Petroff
The head of the Federal Reserve, Janet Yellen, is set to testify on Tuesday before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. The event kicks off at 10 a.m. ET.
Monday, June 20, 2016
SMH
Rush Limbaugh believes that the reason why Trump is behind in the polls is because of Howard Zinn!
The Atlantic: How Rush Limbaugh Explains Donald Trump's Unpopularity - Checking in on the most influential movement conservative who hasn’t yet abandoned epistemic closure.
The Atlantic: How Rush Limbaugh Explains Donald Trump's Unpopularity - Checking in on the most influential movement conservative who hasn’t yet abandoned epistemic closure.
Signs Of Trouble
NBC News: Staff Shake-Ups Usually Spell Trouble for Presidential Campaigns
But, as evidenced by the list of (mostly) losing campaigns below, it's clear that a major staff upheaval is usually a troubling sign.
Lewandowski Is Out
Five Thirty Eight: Trump Was Loyal To Corey Lewandowski — Until He Fell Behind Clinton By Harry Enten
Donald Trump’s campaign for president seems to be in chaos.
The 'KiloCore' Chip
Science Daily: World's first 1,000-processor chip - Thought to be the fastest chip designed in a university lab
summary - A microchip containing 1,000 independent programmable processors has been designed. The energy-efficient 'KiloCore' chip has a maximum computation rate of 1.78 trillion instructions per second and contains 621 million transistors.
Airwaves
NBC News: Clinton, Democrats Dominate 2016 Battleground Airwaves by Mark Murray
Every single 2016 presidential TV ad currently airing in a battleground state is either from Hillary Clinton's campaign or the Democratic outside groups supporting her.
Who And Why
NBC News: Trump - An inside look at the voters who took over the Republican Party by Benjy Sarlin
“He had the foresight to see what was coming,” she said. “He speaks to the people. He’s able to stand up for the country. I haven’t been as excited about a candidate since Reagan.”
Bear Attack
Guardian UK: Woman attacked by bear while running marathon in New Mexico - Officials say female black bear attacked after cub ran up a tree - Runner suffers bites, scratches and injuries to head, neck and upper body
Officials were trying to find the bear, to euthanize it and test it for rabies. Although rabies in bears is rare, the DGF said in a statement, “it is nearly 100% fatal in humans if not properly treated”.
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