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Thursday, August 31, 2017

Trump's Narcissism

The Week: Trump's narcissism is poisoning America by David Faris

IRS

The Daily Beast: Exclusive: Mueller Enlists the IRS for His Trump-Russia Investigation - Will the accountants take down key members of Team Trump? Or force the president’s tax returns into the open? by Betsy Woodruff

Dreamers

Reuters: Trump's expected repeal of Dreamer program draws fire from business by Steve Holland and Jeff Mason

Tropical Depression

Axios: Harvey weakens to tropical depression as death toll rises to 38

Donations

NBC News: Manafort Notes From Russian Meet Contain Cryptic Reference to ‘Donations’ by Ken Dilanian and Carol E. Lee

HeHe

Salon: Pranksters sneak KKK hoods, Putin postcards into racks at Trump Tower gift shop - The phony gifts made pointed jabs at Trump's alleged connections to Russia and his racist comments by Matthew Rozsa

The Onion - Authorities Urge Louisiana Residents To Evacuate Dangerous Lower Income Brackets

The Onion: Authorities Urge Louisiana Residents To Evacuate Dangerous Lower Income Brackets

TRAPPIST - 1

Science Daily: First hints of possible water content on TRAPPIST-1 planets
summary - Astronomers have been trying to determine whether there might be water on the seven Earth-sized planets orbiting the nearby dwarf star TRAPPIST-1. The results suggest that the outer planets of the system might still harbor substantial amounts of water. This includes the three planets within the habitable zone of the star, lending further weight to the possibility that they may indeed be habitable.

Have An Excellent Thursday

work by Emil Bisttram

Lawrence O'Donnell - New Evidence About Russia Hotel Deal Raises Stakes In Probe

Lawrence O'Donnell - What Mueller Working With NY AG Could Mean For Trump-Russia Probe

Invalid

The Palmer Report: Donald Trump, invalid

Sater

Guardian UK: Felix Sater: the enigmatic businessman at the heart of the Trump-Russia inquiry - The Moscow-born former Trump associate’s name emerged in leaked emails – and he tells the Guardian to expect ‘many more stories’ about him to come

Arkema

Guardian UK: Houston flooding: two explosions take place at Texas chemical plant - Sheriff taken to hospital after inhaling chemicals at Arkema plant in Crosby that was flooded by waters from tropical storm Harvey

Charles M Blow's Latest

NY Times: Trump Raises an Army by Charles M. Blow
...just 10 days before Harvey made landfall Trump signed an executive order that included “eliminating an Obama-era rule called the federal flood risk management standard that asked agencies to account for climate change projections when they approved projects.”

Explosions

NY Times: Harvey Live Updates: Blasts at a Chemical Plant, and More Are Feared

Flood

NY Times: As Houston Looks to Recover, Small Towns Now Bear the Brunt By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON, RICK ROJAS and SHAILA DEWAN
Flooding and rain, topping 47 inches in some areas, pounded 50 counties in southeast and lower central Texas with a combined population of roughly 11 million people.

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. It is 61 degrees and cloudy here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts some sunshine and temperatures in the 70s this afternoon. Slowly but surely the temperatures are starting to simmer down and cool off as we head ftowarss the Fall. Yes, it's coming.

  At 9:10 a.m. ET DOW futures are +66 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open moderately higher.

  Trump's failure to demonstrate even a tiny amount of genuine empathy over all the suffering and tragedy in Texas may have sealed the deal for more Americans. This guy is not by any stretch of the imagination presidential material.

CNN: Wells Fargo uncovers up to 1.4 million more fake accounts by Matt Egan

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Denials

NY Times: Trump Lawyer ‘Vehemently’ Denies Russian Collusion By MAGGIE HABERMAN and MATT APUZZO

Teaming Up

Politico: Mueller teams up with New York attorney general in Manafort probe - The cooperation is the latest sign that the investigation into Trump's former campaign chairman is intensifying. By JOSH DAWSEY

Fire Ants

NY Times: Fire Ants Are Yet Another Hazard in Houston’s Flooded Streets By CHRISTINE HAUSER

Swelling

NY Times: The Waters Swell. So Does Trump’s Ego. by Frank Bruni
But Trump’s hurricane talk and hurricane tweets were like his fair-weather fare: childishly intent on superlatives, puerilely obsessed with size, laden with boasts and lavish with discordant asides.

Shrunk

Axios: The incredible shrinking president

Dark Chocolate With Olive Oil

Science Daily: Dark chocolate with olive oil associated with improved cardiovascular risk profile
summary - Dark chocolate enriched with extra virgin olive oil is associated with an improved cardiovascular risk profile, according to new research.

Dislike

Salon: Most Americans strongly dislike Trump — but the angry minority that adores him controls our politics - It seems Trump supporters just love his obnoxious conduct — and they've terrorized the entire GOP into submission by Heather Digby Parton

The Onion - Wrigley Field Grounds Crew Feed Buckets Of Raw Meat To Hungry Ivy

The Onion: Wrigley Field Grounds Crew Feed Buckets Of Raw Meat To Hungry Ivy

Galactic Light Holes

Science Daily: What lit up the universe? Black holes may have punctured darkened galaxies, allowing light to escape
summary - Researchers have a new explanation for how the universe changed from darkness to light. They propose that black holes within galaxies produce winds strong enough to fling out matter that punctures holes in galaxies, allowing light to escape.

Small Oversight

Newsweek: Trump Didn't Meet With Any Hurricane Harvey Victims While in Texas By John Haltiwanger

Have An Excellent Wednesday

work by Emil Bisttram

Morning Joe - Digging Into Transgender Ban, Trump Plays To Cheap Seats

Nope

MSNBC: Trump says Finland is buying U.S. fighter jets; Finland disagrees by Steve Benen

Rachel Maddow - In Odd Move, Mueller Subpoenas Former Manafort Lawyer

Hiding

The Palmer Report: Senate Republicans go into hiding as Donald Trump melts down

Eyes Shut

Guardian UK: Conservative groups shrug off link between tropical storm Harvey and climate change - Myron Ebell, who headed the EPA’s transition team when Trump became president, said the last decade has been a period of ‘low hurricane activity’
“Instead of wasting colossal sums of money on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, much smaller amounts should be spent on improving the infrastructure that protects the Gulf and Atlantic costs,” said Ebell, who is director of environmental policy at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a libertarian think tank that has received donations from fossil fuel companies such as Exxon Mobil.

The Cajun Navy

Guardian UK: 'We ain’t doing no damn good': volunteer rescuers struggle in Houston - The ‘Cajun navy’ force of helpers from Louisiana are hitting an unexpected problem in the Harvey-flooded city – residents declining to evacuate

Stalled

NY Times: Stalled Over Gulf, Harvey Deepens Texans’ Soggy Misery By JACK HEALY, RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA and ALAN BLINDER

Flood Chic

NY Times: Melania Trump, Off to Texas, Finds Herself on Thin Heels

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. It is 61 degrees and sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts a sunny dya with temperatures in the high 70s this afternoon. The long range forecast is still looking very nice.

  At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are -20 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open modestly lower.

  Harvey is bringing even more rain to Texas. We are watching this flood on TV in disbelief.

CNN: U.S. economy records fastest growth in 2 years by Matt Egan

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Really

  Guess which ones do like him. You saw a lot of them at Charlottesville a few weeks back. They carried tiki lanterns.

NY Magazine: Trump Is Really, Really Unpopular With Young People By Ed Kilgore

Humiliating

Bloomberg: Trump's Business Record in Russia Is Humiliating - He never had what it takes to negotiate with Moscow. by Leonid Bershidsky

'Texas Flood'

Larry Davis

Upset Tummy For The Baby President

Salon: What upset Donald Trump about his Phoenix rally? The crowd size - Trump is blaming a staffer for the low turnout during his off-the-rails rally that bored his audience by Matthew Rozsa

The Onion - Nation Gets Really Tired All Of A Sudden

The Onion: Nation Gets Really Tired All Of A Sudden

Brain Tumor Remission

Science Daily: Complete remission of brain metastasis of difficult-to-treat tumor - Tumor-targeting immune cells appeared to spontaneously reactivate after biopsy of recurrent, subcutaneous lesion
summary - Medical researchers report a remarkable treatment response in a patient participating in a clinical trial of a novel immune-system-based cancer therapy.

Have An Excellent Tuesday

work by Emil Bisttram

Rachel Maddow - Trump Exposed To New Obstruction Charge Over Arpaio Queries

Rachel Maddow - Trump Sought Moscow Business Deal While Campaigning For President

Meltdown

The Palmer Report: Here comes Donald Trump’s ultimate meltdown

GOP Criticizes Trump Over Arpaio

Guardian UK: 'Out of bounds': Republicans criticize Trump over Joe Arpaio pardon - Ohio governor John Kasich is latest senior member of president’s own party to condemn pardon of former Maricopa County sheriff as politically motivated

Pure Stupidity

Guardian UK: Trump's rollback of flood protections risks further Houston-style calamity - Houston has some of the most lax laxest building regulations in potential flood zones – and the president wants to spread that policy across the US

No One Else

NY Times: ‘The President Speaks For Himself’ By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
Mr. Trump, we are reminded every day in ways we would not have imagined the day before, speaks and acts in the interests of himself and no one else.

Texas

NY Times: Texas Governor Warns of a Long, Slow Recovery By JULIE TURKEWITZ, RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA and JACK HEALY

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. It is cloudy and 57 degrees here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts a mostly cloudy day with temperatures in the 70s this afternoon. The long range forecast looks pretty nice, a couple of rainy days but a lot of sunshine and pleasant temperatures as we head into September.

  At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are significantly lower and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open significantly lower.

  Texas is drowning, the flooding is unbelievable. I'm watching the video and my mouth is wide open in disbelief. The people there are experiencing a lot of pain and suffering. It's going to take a long time for the area to recover and for the trauma to settle down.

CNN: Markets rattled by North Korean missile launch by Matt Egan, Jethro Mullen and Victoria Cavaliere

Monday, August 28, 2017

The Time Has Come

Foreign Policy: Congress Needs to Open a Formal Impeachment Inquiry - The time has come to begin a serious conversation about the removal of President Donald Trump. By Jane Chong, Benjamin Wittes

Hide And Seek

NBC News: Mueller Team Asking If Trump Tried to Hide Purpose of Trump Tower Meeting by Julia Ainsley and Tom Winter

Texas

LA Times: More than 20 Texas representatives and senators voted against Sandy aid. How will they vote on Harvey?

They Own It

New Republic: Republicans Completely Own Trump’s Arpaio Pardon - If they don't hold the president accountable for this abuse of power, where will the pardons end? By Brian Beutler

Feed

Uplift: How to Feed Your Demons By Lama Tsultrim Allione

Despair

Idaho Statesman: Couple earns $51,600. His long-term care takes $48,000. She digs in dumpsters for food. By Maria L. La Ganga

The Boast

NY Times: Trump Associate Boasted That Moscow Business Deal ‘Will Get Donald Elected’ By MATT APUZZO and MAGGIE HABERMAN

Recapping GOT Season 7

NY Times: ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 7 Finale: Jon Snow, Sneaky Setups and Family Reunions

Compare


Digby's Latest

Salon: Trump’s Arpaio pardon sends a clear signal to racist, brutal cops: I’ve got your back - Trump wanted to rally his base and test-drive his pardon powers. But the message to cops couldn't be clearer by Heather Digby Parton

The Onion - ‘Game Of Thrones’ Audience Disappointed By Season Finale’s Bland, Uninspired Incest

The Onion: ‘Game Of Thrones’ Audience Disappointed By Season Finale’s Bland, Uninspired Incest

Cold Air

Science Daily: Air temperature is external trigger for heart attack
summary - A 16-year study in more than 280,000 patients has suggested that air temperature is an external trigger for heart attack. The average number of heart attacks per day was significantly higher during seasons with colder outdoor temperatures as compared to warmer.

Hmm

Dead State: Guy who says God sends natural disasters to punish gays has his home destroyed in a natural disaster

Have An Excellent Monday

work by Emil Bisttram

Morning Joe - Trump Biz Sought Moscow Deal While He Ran

Morning Joe - Arpaio A Thug, Pardon Could Hurt Trump Later

Trump In Russia - Bombshell

Washington Post: Trump’s business sought deal on a Trump Tower in Moscow while he ran for president
...evidence that Trump’s business was actively pursuing significant commercial interests in Russia at the same time he was campaigning to be president — and in a position to determine U.S.-Russia relations.

Trump denied having any business connections to Russia in July 2016, tweeting, “for the record, I have ZERO investments in Russia”...“I have nothing to do with Russia.”

Bombshell

The Palmer Report: Latest Washington Post Trump-Russia bombshell is just a warmup act for the avalanche

San Diego

Guardian UK: Deadliest outbreak of hepatitis A in decades kills 14 in San Diego - Some 264 people have been hospitalized, roughly 70% of them homeless, in an outbreak that began last November

Berkeley

Guardian UK: Berkeley pro-Trump rally cancelled but tensions still flare between protesters - Most counter-protesters pursue peaceful means against rightwingers after police crackdown causes organiser to call off ‘No Marxism in America’ event

U-Turns

NY Times: Trump’s Legal U-Turns May Test Supreme Court’s Patience

Houston Before And After

Houston

NY Times: In Houston, Anxiety and Frantic Rescues as Floodwaters Rise By JULIE TURKEWITZ, MANNY FERNANDEZ and ALAN BLINDER
What felt like an apocalyptic onslaught of pounding rains and rapidly rising floodwaters brought the nation’s fourth-largest city to its knees on Sunday...

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. It is 59 degrees and mostly sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts a mostly sunny day with temperatures in the 70s this afternoon. It looks like we are in for a nice week of weather.

  At 9:10 a.m. ET DOW futures are +35 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open moderately higher.

  As we know, parts of Texas are under water. The flooding is incredible, this is an historic disaster and it includes America's fourth largest city Houston. More rain is expected too.

CNN: Harvey hits; New Uber CEO; Brexit talks by Ivana Kottasová

Friday, August 25, 2017

Have An Excellent Weekend

  Enjoy the weekend, see you bright and early Monday morning.

work by Paul Sérusier

Gorka Resigns

Daily News: Trump aide Sebastian Gorka resigns from White House

Arpaio Pardoned

The Washington Post: Trump has pardoned former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, whose hardline views on immigration have allied him with the president By Washington Post Staff

Trump's Special Guest

Business Insider: Richard Spencer stayed at Trump's D.C. hotel while he planned the Charlottesville rally
Richard Spencer, a noted white nationalist and supporter of President Donald Trump, is one of many frequent guests at the new Trump International Hotel in Washington D.C...

Dansforth Rips Trump

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: 'This hateful man': Danforth calls on Republicans to 'disassociate' themselves from Trump By Kevin McDermott

How Low Can We Go

Newsweek: Polls Show Trump, the Least Popular President Ever, Is Seeing His Approval Rating Sink to an All-Time Low By Tim Marcin
No president in the history of modern polling had an approval rating so poor at this point in his tenure...

Introduction

The Daily Beast: Inside Robert Mueller’s Army - To probe alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election, the special counsel has essentially built his own miniature Justice Department. Meet the experts he’s recruited.

Digby's Latest

Salon: Yeah, there’s still a Russia probe — and it looks worse for Trump all the time - Trump has hissy-fits at GOP senators while Mueller interviews "Dossier Guy." Bipartisan consensus: Big trouble by Heather Digby Parton

The Onion - Manager Can’t Remember Why He Came Out To Mound

The Onion: Manager Can’t Remember Why He Came Out To Mound

Skull Shape

Science Daily: Farming, cheese, chewing changed human skull shape
summary - The advent of farming, especially dairy products, had a small but significant effect on the shape of human skulls, according to a recently study from anthropologists.

Blast From The Past


Have An Excellent Friday

work by Emil Bisstram

Rachel Maddow - Broad Mueller Mandate Could Mean Crisis For Jared Kushner

Lawrence O'Donnell - Donald Trump 'Embarrassed' Over Border Wall

Tweeters

The Palmer Report: Steve Bannon’s departure has impacted Donald Trump in one surprising way no one saw coming

The Amazon

Guardian UK: Brazil abolishes huge Amazon reserve in 'biggest attack' in 50 years - Brazilian president has dissolved Renca to attract investment in region thought to contain gold, with critics warning of irreversible damage

Meanness

Guardian UK: The sad truth about Teleprompter Trump - It’s not new for presidents to use teleprompters. What is new is a president who sounds nothing like the person who reads out the words on the screen by Francine Prose
But the ones who deserve our sympathy are the American people, and the people of the world, who know that our president is mouthing pieties that he privately mocks, who know they are being lied to, and who can’t seem to make the pretense, the meanness and the hypocrisy stop.

Krugman's Latest

NY Times: Trump and Pruitt, Making America Polluted Again by Paul Krugman
As Oklahoma’s attorney general, Pruitt effectively acted as a servant, not of the public, but of polluting industries. That’s not an accusation; it’s confirmed by his own email trail.

Good Luck With That

NY Times: John Kelly’s Latest Mission: Controlling the Information Flow to Trump By MAGGIE HABERMAN
But Mr. Trump, presidential experts say, has shown he is immune to efforts to bring lasting change to his own behavior. And that could ultimately undermine Mr. Kelly’s mission.

The Market On Friday

  Good morning. It is 64 degrees and sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts sunshine and temperatures in the 70s this afternoon. The week long forecast is still looking pretty sweet. Get out there and enjoy it while it lasts.

  At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +45 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open moderately higher.

  All eyes are on Texas, they are in for some severe weather and flooding. It's a category three tornado at the moment.

CNN: Yellen takes the stage; Samsung sentencing; Amazon in focus by Alanna Petroff

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Charles M. Blows' Latest

NY Times: Donald Trump, ‘King of Alabama’?

Conclusion

CNN: World leaders conclude: Trump is a liability, not a leader

Morning Joe - 'Political Schizophrenia' - A Tale Of Two Trumps

Tweeter In Chief

Salon: Donald Trump isn’t too busy to watch a lot of TV and tweet - Trump's latest tweetstorm reveals that the president has way too much time on his hands by Taylor Link

The Onion - Department Of Transportation Allocates $400 Million For National Shortcut

The Onion: Department Of Transportation Allocates $400 Million For National Shortcut

What Every Decent Musician Already Knows Proved By Science

Science Daily: A song's structure can be linked to its popularity - Unsuspected chord changes, especially when followed by a predictable harmony, has been linked to a song's popularity, as judged by its placement in the Billboard Top 100 charts
summary - Music can elicit strong emotions, which can be hard to describe. A new study has found that a simple change in harmonic structure can contribute to our preference for certain songs. Analyzing the chords of over 500 pop songs between 1958 and 1991, the study reveals a link between those showing higher 'harmonic surprise' (chords that do not usually follow each other) and their popularity in the Billboard Top 100 chart.

Baby Talk


Have An Excellent Thursday

work by Gene Brown

Lawrence O'Donnell - Trump's Most Important Lie Is About Himself

Last - One Could Only Hope

The Palmer Report: Donald Trump’s last stand

Turned In

Guardian UK: White nationalist Christopher Cantwell turns himself in to Virginia police - Cantwell, who appeared in a Vice News documentary about white nationalists, is wanted by University of Virginia police on three felony charges

Trump Slump

Guardian UK: The 'Trump slump': gun sales decline as fears of tighter controls fade - Barack Obama was called the ‘best gun salesman on the planet’. But with Trump in the White House, gun companies’ sales are down, and profits are falling

Attacking The Media

NY Times: We’re Journalists, Mr. Trump, Not the Enemy by Nicholas Kristof
The key strain of his sulfurous speech in Phoenix on Tuesday was an extended attack on “dishonest” reporters (including at “the failing New York Times”).

Bipolar Trump

NY Times: Different Day, Different Audience, and a Completely Different Trump By MARK LANDLER

Shut Down Here We Come

NY Times: Trump Widens Rift With Congress as Critical Showdowns Loom By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. It is 63 degrees and partly cloudy here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts mostly sunshine and temperatures in the 70s this afternoon. The long range forecast still shows a full week of similar weather and temperatures. This is the sweet zone of the Summer.

  At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are +61 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open moderately higher.

  What's the deal with Trump? The guy reads a script and sounds like a human being. Then he goes off script and sounds like Hitler. This is not good.

CNN: Jackson Hole; Debt ceiling jitters; Tiffany earnings by Alanna Petroff

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Poverty

Daily Mail: Harrowing images of Victorian beggars including a pregnant prostitute aged TEN capture the poverty of children living on Britain's streets 100 years ago

Texas

  24" to 48" inches of rain forecast for Texas over a 3 to 4 day span. Flooding catastrophe here we come.


Cuba

Axios: U.S. diplomats in Cuba suffered brain injuries

Resign

Digby's Latest

Salon: Trump in Arizona: Threats, paranoia and a dark lesson in white history - Trump promises a government shutdown, hints he'll pardon Joe Arpaio — and vows to make history white again by Heather Digby Parton

The Onion - Report - Majority Of Time In Pool Spent Urging Others To Enter Pool

The Onion: Report: Majority Of Time In Pool Spent Urging Others To Enter Pool

Interactive Robogami

Science Daily: Designing custom robots in a matter of minutes - MIT CSAIL's 'Interactive Robogami' lets you design and 3-D-print origami-inspired robots from 2-D designs?
summary - Researchers have created a system called 'Interactive Robogami' that lets you design a robot in minutes, and then 3-D-print and assemble it in as little as four hours.
MIT: Custom robots in a matter of minutes - CSAIL’s “Interactive Robogami” lets you design and 3-D print origami-inspired robots from 2-D designs.

33% Approval

American Research Group Inc: Trump Overall Job Approvals Hit New Lows

Thinned

Washington Post: As Trump ranted and rambled in Phoenix, his crowd slowly thinned By Jenna Johnson

Have An Excellent Wednesday

work by Gene Brown



Lawrence O'Donnell - Lawrence Calls Out Trump's Charlottesville Lie At Arizona Rally

Morning Joe - This Was Donald Trump At His Worst

Embarrassment

The Palmer Report: Here’s just how embarrassed General John Kelly was of Donald Trump’s Phoenix speech

New Low

Politico: Poll: Trump hits new low after Charlottesville By STEVEN SHEPARD

Raunch

Guardian UK: 'Look at those fonts!' X-rated film posters of the 60s and 70s – in pictures
They were an explosion of graphic design, cheating audiences with promises of raunchy scenes that never materialised. Collector Tony Nourmand reveals the real sordid truth about X-rated movie posters

Poor Baby

Guardian UK: Trump paints himself as the real victim of Charlottesville in angry speech - Speaking at a rally in Phoenix, president attempts to counter widespread, bipartisan condemnation of his response to far-right violence

Chaos

NY Times: Police Use Tear Gas on Crowds After Trump Rally By SIMON ROMERO
After the rally, the driver of a Ford Ranger pickup enraged protesters by performing the Nazi salute in their direction. A scene of chaos ensued as protesters approached the truck and yelled at the driver and passengers. The driver then tried to speed away from the protesters, raising fears of a repeat of the car-related violence in Charlottesville, Va., earlier this month. Police officers intervened to stop the truck and have its occupants get out of the vehicle.

Nuts

NY Times: At Rally, Trump Blames Media for Country’s Deepening Divisions By MARK LANDLER and MAGGIE HABERMAN

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. It is 66 degrees and sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts a sunny day with temperatures in the 70s this afternoon. If the week long future forecast is correct, we are clearly into a very sunny sweet spot of the the Summer. Get outside and enjoy this amazing weather.

  At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are -79 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open moderately lower.

  Initial reaction coalesces around the thought the Trump's speech last night in Phoenix was completely unhinged. That's easy to believe.

CNN: Samsung's big reveal; Lowe's earnings; Stocks muddled by Alanna Petroff

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Keith Olbermann Predicts Trump's Resignation

McConnell Vs Trump

NY Times: McConnell, in Private, Doubts if Trump Can Save Presidency By ALEXANDER BURNS and JONATHAN MARTIN
“I think he’s going to blow up, self-implode,” Mr. Hoffman said of Mr. Trump. “I wouldn’t be surprised if McConnell pulls back his support of Trump and tries to go it alone.”

Rick Wilson On Bannon

The Daily Beast: Steve Bannon’s Nationalism Is a Click-Scam Disguised as a Movement - Nationalists and populists rise from moments where the temptations to abandon principle, policy, and that harder work of ethical governance is too strong.

Roy Blount Jr On Trump

  I am a huge Roy Blount Jr. fan, he has an extremely bright mind. If Mark Twain is somehow reborn in 2017, he's now Roy Blount Jr. The link takes you to a video.

CNN: Blount: The White House is "on the wrong side" with Fareed Zakaria

Pauly Shore As Stephen Miller

Warning Signs

Salon: Warning signs of mass violence — in the U.S.? Has the time come to watch for these warning signs in the United States? by Max Pensky and Nadia Rubaii,

The Onion - John Kelly Hoses Layer Of Crumbs Off President Before Speech On Troop Deployment

The Onion: John Kelly Hoses Layer Of Crumbs Off President Before Speech On Troop Deployment

Asteroid Strike

Science Daily: Dino-killing asteroid could have thrust Earth into two years of darkness - Light-absorbing soot in the atmosphere had the potential to block photosynthesis
summary - Tremendous amounts of soot, lofted into the air from global wildfires following a massive asteroid strike 66 million years ago, would have plunged Earth into darkness for nearly two years, new research finds. This would have shut down photosynthesis, drastically cooled the planet, and contributed to the mass extinction that marked the end of the age of dinosaurs.

Have An Excellent Tuesday

work by Gene Brown

Rachel Maddow - More Questions Than Answers From Trump's Afghanistan Speech

Chris Matthews - Has Trump Lost His Standing To Lead?

Speculation

  I take the Palmer Report with a grain of salt. However, he so much dislikes Trump that I relate to his intentions. Will Trump resign? Probably unlikely, but who knows.

The Palmer Report: Report: Donald Trump in preliminary talks about resignation

Kneel

Guardian UK: Two white players join Cleveland Browns in NFL's largest anthem protest - More than a dozen Browns kneel ahead of team’s Monday night game
...have called attention to what they feel is racial injustice in the country.

Mourn

Guardian UK: Charlottesville to cover Confederate statues to mourn Heather Heyer

Brutal

Business Insider: Trump's response to Charlottesville just got brutal reviews

Few Details

NY Times: Trump Sets U.S. Strategy but No ‘Blank Check’ for Afghan War By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS and MARK LANDLER

Protests Planned For Trump In Arizona

NY Times: What to Know Ahead of Trump’s Rally in Arizona By JESS BIDGOOD
Several opposition rallies and marches have been planned, according to the Arizona Republic.

Another rally, Never Again: Jews and Allies Against Hate, was planned by David Schapira, a Tempe city councilman, and State Senator Robert Meza for the State Capitol earlier in the afternoon. A church in Phoenix also scheduled a march from the convention center to the Capitol Tuesday evening.

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. It is 73 degrees and hazy sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts periodic thunderstorms and temperatures in the high 80s this afternoon. Looks like after today the temperatures drop into the 70s with sunshine and some good looking days.

  At 9:10 a.m. ET DOW futures are +59 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open moderately higher.

  Truth is when they play a clip of Trump on the news, I dive for the mute button. When it's known in advance that he will be speaking on TV, I make sure the TV is off and I'm doing something, anything, other than watching TV. Afghanistan, more troops - the only problem is that these troops are putting their lives right the hell on the line and Trump doesn't know a damn thing about anything and will be playing golf, stuffing his face, and talking divisive smack.

CNN: Stocks look sunny; Jeep power; Salesforce earnings by Alanna Petroff

Monday, August 21, 2017

Are You OK




Not Graceful

NY Times: Bannon Was Set for a Graceful Exit. Then Came Charlottesville. By JEREMY W. PETERS and MAGGIE HABERMAN
Mr. Bannon’s physical appearance was crumbling, and his mood swings had become pronounced.

MSNBC - Senator King - Trump 'Should Stop Tweeting'

Perilous Ground

NBC News: New Polls Show Trump’s Presidency Stands on Perilous Ground by Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Carrie Dann

2024

CNN: Missed the eclipse today? America's next one is in 2024

We Do Have An Idea

MSNBC: White House aide: ‘You have no idea how much crazy stuff we kill’ By Steve Benen

Irrelevant

Salon: Robert Reich: Here’s what’s better than removing Donald Trump - Don't worry about replacing Trump. Let's make him irrelevant by Robert Reich
When the media stop reporting his tweets, his isolation and irrelevance will be complete.

The Onion - Astronomers Caution Americans Not To Look Directly At Screaming Spirits Of The Damned During Solar Eclipse

The Onion: Astronomers Caution Americans Not To Look Directly At Screaming Spirits Of The Damned During Solar Eclipse

Diamond Rain

Science Daily: Scientists create 'diamond rain' that forms in the interior of icy giant planets - SLAC's X-ray laser and Matter in Extreme Conditions instrument allow researchers to examine the exotic precipitation in real-time as it materializes in the laboratory
summary - In an experiment designed to mimic the conditions deep inside the icy giant planets of our solar system, scientists were able to observe 'diamond rain' for the first time as it formed in high-pressure conditions. Extremely high pressure squeezes hydrogen and carbon found in the interior of these planets to form solid diamonds that sink slowly down further into the interior.

Have An Excellent Monday

work by Gene Brown

MSNBC - Congressman Calls For Trump's Impeachment After Charlottesville

Questioning

The Palmer Report: Steve Bannon’s Breitbart is already questioning Donald Trump’s mental health

Sanctuary Schools

Guardian UK: 'Sanctuary schools' across America defy Trump's immigration crackdown - From Los Angeles to Miami to New York, dozens of school districts are vowing to shield students and their families from immigration authorities

Another War

Guardian UK: How Jeff Sessions and Donald Trump have restarted the war on drugs - Under Obama, America’s addiction to mass incarceration seemed to fade. But then came Trump and a hardline attorney general by Lois Beckett

Krugman's Latest

NY Times: What Will Trump Do to American Workers? by Paul Krugman

Failing

NY Times: Failing All Tests of the Presidency by Charles M. Blow
We are leaderless.

The Market On Monday

  Good morning. It is partly cloudy and 63 degrees here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts a partly cloudy day with temperatures in the 80s this afternoon. The eclipse is today. In New York we will see a partial eclipse and it will get dark.

  At 8:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are -5 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open in the slightly below flat area.

  Trump has lost virtually all semblance of what we call moral authority. He probably never had any to begin with. The problem is, we now have a president whom the majority of Americans regard as a bad person who carries no weight. Trump cannot inspire the country. He can certainly charge up the racists, he does that just fine, but the racists are in the minority. This is a very weak ineffective inept president and he needs to go.

Fiat Chrysler rumors; China blasts U.S.; Total's deal by Ivana Kottasová

Friday, August 18, 2017

Have An Excellent Weekend

  Enjoy the weekend, see you bright and early Monday morning.

work by Paul Sérusier

It's Coming

NY Times: The Week When President Trump Resigned by Frank Bruni

Heh


SNL - Washington And Jefferson On Being Compared To Robert E. Lee

Good Start

NY Times: Stephen Bannon Out at the White House After Turbulent Run By MAGGIE HABERMAN

'I See You Baby'

Gram'ma Funk

Fake News?

  If it's true, then fine.

NY Post: Steve Bannon is out at White House

The Onion - Nation Begs Disaffected Youth Gravitating Toward Neo-Nazism To Get High And Play Xbox Instead

The Onion: Nation Begs Disaffected Youth Gravitating Toward Neo-Nazism To Get High And Play Xbox Instead

Punched

Growing

NY Times: Antifa’ Grows as Left-Wing Faction Set to, Literally, Fight the Far Right By THOMAS FULLER, ALAN FEUER and SERGE F. KOVALESKI

A Traitor Defending A Traitor

Salon: Trump’s defense of Confederate traitors is more than a culture war — it’s a subversion of American democracy - It's no surprise that a traitor would defend traitors by Bob Cesca

The Onion - Report: 97% Of Inner Tube Occupants Agree It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This

The Onion: Report: 97% Of Inner Tube Occupants Agree It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This

Tau Ceti System Exoplantes

Science Daily: Four Earth-sized planets detected orbiting the nearest sun-like star
summary - Astronomers have discovered four Earth-sized planets orbiting the nearest sun-like star, tau Ceti, which is about 12 light years away and visible to the naked eye. These planets have masses as low as 1.7 Earth mass, making them among the smallest planets ever detected around nearby sun-like stars. Two of them are super-Earths located in the habitable zone of the star, meaning they could support liquid surface water.

Remove

Democracy Now: Exclusive: Stonewall Jackson's Great-Great-Grandsons Call for Removal of Confederate Monuments

Have An Excellent Friday

work by Victoria Kalaichi

Rachel Maddow - Phoenix Mayor Asks Donald Trump To Cancel Inflammatory Rally

Lawrence O'Donnell - The Comprehensive Timeline Of Trump's History With Russia

Worst Yet

The Palmer Report: Today could be Donald Trump’s worst day yet

Over The Edge

Guardian UK: Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner face pressure to speak out on antisemitism - The Jewish couple have kept quiet since president’s defence of antisemitic protesters. Asks a rabbi: ‘Who knows if this is what will set people over the edge?’

Done

Guardian UK: Steve Bannon's work is done. Donald Trump can fire him now - Without his chief strategist the president will still have the ‘alt-right’ credentials they built together to mobilize and transform the Republican base by Justin gest

Regret

NY Times: I Voted for Trump. And I Sorely Regret It. By JULIUS KREIN
It is now clear that my optimism was unfounded. I can’t stand by this disgraceful administration any longer, and I would urge anyone who once supported him as I did to stop defending the 45th president.

Far from making America great again, Mr. Trump has betrayed the foundations of our common citizenship. And his actions are jeopardizing any prospect of enacting an agenda that might restore the promise of American life.

Krugman's Latest

NY Times: Trump Makes Caligula Look Pretty Good
For one thing, Caligula did not, as far as we know, foment ethnic violence within the empire.

The Market On Friday

  Good morning. It is 72 degrees and raining here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts a rainy day, maybe thunderstorms, and temperatures in the 70s this afternoon. Looks like we are in for a sunny weekend.

  At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +5 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open in the slightly above the flat area.

  We are downright mortified with the behavior, words, and actions of Trump. Many of us are literally in disbelief at the level of dis-ease that this man is projecting into the country and globe. He must be removed from office.

CNN: Spain attacks hit stocks; Gap surges; Consumer confidence by Ivana Kottasová and Alanna Petroff

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Signs Of The Times




What I Saw

BBC News: What Trump said versus what I saw

How A German City Found An Absolutely Genius Way Of Handling Neo-Nazis

Down We Go

USA Today: Donald Trump's approval rating lowest since taking office, Marist Poll shows

Barcelona

BBC News: Barcelona: Van rams crowds in Ramblas tourist area

Maine's Trump

Salon: Maine Gov. Paul LePage: Removing Confederate statues is like taking down monuments to 9/11 victims - Trump superfan Paul LePage says that Confederate monuments are A-OK! by Angelo Young

The Onion - Panicked John Kelly Ushers Half-Naked Trump Away From Podium As President Shouts Support For Eugenics

The Onion: Panicked John Kelly Ushers Half-Naked Trump Away From Podium As President Shouts Support For Eugenics

Gliese 832 System Exoplanet

Science Daily: Astrophysicists predict Earth-like planet in star system only 16 light years away
summary - Astrophysicists have predicted that an Earth-like planet may be lurking in a star system just 16 light years away. The team investigated the star system Gliese 832 for additional exoplanets residing between the two currently known alien worlds in this system. Their computations revealed that an additional Earth-like planet with a dynamically stable configuration may be residing at a distance ranging from 0.25 to 2.0 astronomical unit (AU) from the star.

Have An Excellent Thursday

political street art from Oaxaca


Rachel Maddow - Russia Still Helping Trump, Hacked Mail Story Suggests

Morning Joe - The President's 'Summer Slide' Continues, Poll Shows

Play More Golf

The Palmer Report: Republican Congressman to Donald Trump: stop talking and focus more on golf

Bannon

Guardian UK: Steve Bannon brands far right 'losers' and contradicts Trump in surprise interview - White House figure tells the American Prospect magazine there is no military solution to North Korea and warns of a China trade war

White Male Supremacy

Guardian UK: 'Trump's delivering exactly what they wanted: white male supremacy'

A Deranged Person

NY Times: How to Handle Donald Trump by Gail Collins
It was truly the kind of performance you expect from a deranged person, brought out to explain why he blew up a large government building and inquiring cheerfully: “Has anybody seen my car? It’s really nice. A Ford Pinto.”

Down They Go

NY Times: Confederate Monuments Are Coming Down Across the Country. Here’s a List. By MATTHEW BLOCH, MORRIGAN McCARTHY, LIAM STACK and WILSON ANDREWS

Failing Badly

NY Times: Trump Comments on Race Open Breach With C.E.O.s, Military and G.O.P. By MICHAEL D. SHEAR, GLENN THRUSH and MAGGIE HABERMAN
President Trump found himself increasingly isolated in a racial crisis of his own making on Wednesday...

The Market On Thursday

  Good morning. It is 63 degrees and sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts a mostly sunny day with temperatures in the 80s this afternoon. Enjoy the fine weather while it's here.

  At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are -58 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open moderately lower.

  Trump has expressed who he truly is once again. He is a racist and a fascist and he needs to be removed from office as soon as possible.

CNN: Stock rally fizzles; Walmart earnings; Victoria's Secret slump by Alanna Petroff

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Reformed

NPR: A Reformed White Nationalist Speaks Out On Charlottesville

Please

The Palmer Report: Donald Trump’s ghostwriter thinks his resignation is imminent

Denouncing Trump

CNN: Here are the Republicans denouncing Trump by name By Daniella Diaz
Mitt Romney - "No, not the same. One side is racist, bigoted, Nazi. The other opposes racism and bigotry. Morally different universes."

Fired

USA Today: CEOs to Trump: No, you’re fired

Disbands

Reuters: Trump disbands business councils after CEOs exit in protest Susan Heavey and Jeff Mason

From Garrison Keillor

twincities.com: Garrison Keillor on Donald Trump: We will survive this

Fear

Salon: Donald Trump is afraid of Steve Bannon, and that’s why he won’t fire him: report - If the president fires his political strategist, he could lose support from angry white nationalists VIDEO by Angelo Young

The Onion - Man Who Stood And Watched Robbery Acted On Pure Instinct

The Onion: Man Who Stood And Watched Robbery Acted On Pure Instinct

Soil

Science Daily: Soil microbes persist through National Mall facelift - Turf grass microbiome indicates surprising resiliency
summary - It's not every day United States history mixes with microbes in the soil. But when the turf on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was replaced, it offered scientists the opportunity to study changes in the soil microbiome underneath.

Stephen Colbert - Take A Side, Mr. President - Nazis Or Not Nazis

Have An Excellent Wednesday

work by Inka Essenhigh

Rachel Maddow - Trump Gives Emboldening 'Green Light' To White Supremacists

Morning Joe - Trump Has Chosen The Wrong Side

Panic Button

The Palmer Report: Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan are trying to finish the job

Brexit Condemns Trump!

Guardian UK: Theresa May condemns far-right views after Trump Charlottesville remarks - PM says she ‘sees no equivalence’ between those with fascist views and those who oppose them but does not name president

Out

Guardian UK: Baltimore takes down Confederate statues in middle of night - Journalists in Maryland city post images of monuments being removed after death of civil rights activist at Charlottesville protest

Why

Guardian UK: Why is the US still fighting the civil war? Confederate symbols have become a crucible of racial tension in the US. White nationalists claim they are important monuments – but are they just a way to rewrite an ugly history and revive the battles of the past?

Decoding Hate

Nazis

NY Times: Swastikas, Shields and Flags: Branding Hate in Charlottesville

Rejecting Trump

NY Times: Rift Widens Between Trump and Business Leaders By DAVID GELLES, KATE KELLY, RACHEL ABRAMS and MICHAEL CORKERY
The departures represent a rare spectacle in which prominent executives are looking for ways to pull back from an American president who campaigned, and won, partly on the strength of his pro-business stance.

Boosting White Supremacists

NY Times: Trump Gives White Supremacists an Unequivocal Boost By GLENN THRUSH and MAGGIE HABERMAN
President Trump buoyed the white nationalist movement on Tuesday as no president has done in generations — equating activists protesting racism with the neo-Nazis and white supremacists who rampaged in Charlottesville, Va., over the weekend.

Stunned

NY Times: ‘Wow’: Stunned TV Hosts Reacted in Real Time to Trump By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM
“What I just saw gave me the wrong kind of chills,” a visibly stunned Chuck Todd said on MSNBC. “Honestly, I’m a bit shaken by what I just heard.”

The Market On Wednesday

  Good morning. It is 72 degrees and mostly sunny here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts a mostly sunny day with temperatures around 80 degrees this afternoon. The weather is very nice, enjoy it while it's here.

  At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +56 and the price of oil per barrel is slightly higher. The market is poised to open moderately higher.

  Well the shite has truly hit the fan. We have a racist, KKK supporting, bigot, very disturbed individual as our president. He must be removed from office, and this must occur ASAP.

CNN: Target earnings; NAFTA talks begin; Stocks swing up by Alanna Petroff

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Topple


Top 10

Candid Magazine: The Top 10 Places to Visit in America to Avoid ‘Trump People’

Defends

NY Times: Trump Defends Initial Remarks on Charlottesville; Again Blames ‘Both Sides’ By MICHAEL D. SHEAR and MAGGIE HABERMAN

The Borowitz Report - Millions Willing to Work for Mueller for Free If That Would Speed Things Up

New Yorker: Millions Willing to Work for Mueller for Free If That Would Speed Things Up

Bad News

Newsweek: Impeach Trump? Charlottesville, Russia and Health Care Are All Bad News for White House By Jason Le Miere

Not Real

Salon: Paul Krugman: Trump won’t denounce white supremacists for one obvious reason - The current president of the United States isn't a real American, Paul Krugman says by Ilana Novick

NY Times: When the President Is Un-American by Paul Krugman

The Onion - Man Waiting To See How Few More Decades Of Racial Violence Play Out Before Taking Action

The Onion: Man Waiting To See How Few More Decades Of Racial Violence Play Out Before Taking Action

Global Warming - Algae Blooms

Science Daily: Climate change projected to significantly increase harmful algal blooms in US freshwaters
summary - Harmful algal blooms known to pose risks to human and environmental health in large freshwater reservoirs and lakes are projected to increase because of climate change

Have An Excellent Tuesday

work by Inka Essenhigh

Morning Joe - Worst Approval Rating Yet For The President

Rachel Maddow - Racism 'A Persistent Infection' In White American Culture

Jimmy Fallon Redeems Himself

The Palmer Report: Jimmy Fallon slams “shameful” Donald Trump in blistering Charlottesville takedown

Hateful Man

Guardian UK: Donald Trump retweets alt-right provocateur after condemning white supremacists - US president accused of trying to signal appreciation for alt-right supporters by highlighting article about crime in Chicago
Donald Trump shared a tweet from an alt-right conspiracy theorist and provocateur in the hours after he bowed to overwhelming pressure and directly condemned the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis and white supremacists over Saturday’s violence at a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Blow Back

Guardian UK: Charlottesville: CEOs quit Trump council over response to violence - Bosses from Intel, Merck and Under Armour distance themselves from administration after president’s reluctance to denounce white nationalists

No Redemption

NY Times: President Trump Cannot Redeem Himself by Frank Bruni

Never Happen

NY Times: How Mr. Trump Could Face Up to White Supremacists By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
“The Confederacy was on the wrong side of history and humanity,” he (Mitch Landrieu, mayor of New Orleans) said. “It sought to tear apart our nation and subjugate our fellow Americans to slavery. This is the history we should never forget and one that we should never again put on a pedestal to be revered.”

The Market On Tuesday

  Good morning. It is cloudy sunny and 68 degrees here in the Upper Hudson Valley, the forecast predicts a mixed day maybe even rain and temperatures in the 70s this afternoon.

  At 9:15 a.m. ET DOW futures are +60 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open moderately higher.

  We see that more CEO's are leaving Trump's manufacturing council. At this point, it should be very clear that no honorable person can work for Trump.

CNN: Warren Buffett dumped all his GE stock by David Goldman