Thursday, November 30, 2023
Mind-Set
NY Times: The ‘Trump Isn’t So Bad’ Mind-Set By Charles M. Blow
At the moment, the electorate is drifting away from its safest option. It is courting the country’s demise. Maybe something or someone will be able to jolt voters out of this self-destructive impulse.
Call
“F--- you,” McCarthy claimed to have then told Trump, when he rehashed the call later to other people in two separate conversations, according to the people.
War
“They said they actually supported each other, so if one of them had a bad day or a down day, the other would support him or her,” he said. “It created some kind of a bond.”
War
Washington Post: In undisclosed call, Pope Francis warned Israel against committing ‘terror’ By Anthony Faiola , Stefano Pitrelli and Louisa Loveluck
It is “forbidden to respond to terror with terror,” Francis said, according to a senior Israeli official familiar with the call, which has not been previously reported.
War
Washington Post: Israel and Hamas agree to extend pause in fighting in Gaza
Israel and Hamas said Thursday they have agreed to extend the pause in fighting in Gaza for another day.
Kissinger
NY Times: Henry Kissinger DiesKissinger’s Long Presence on the Global Stage Was Both Celebrated and Reviled
For many in China, Henry A. Kissinger represented a now-bygone chapter in relations between China and the United States, when the countries seemed to be moving inexorably closer.
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. At 6:00 a.m. ET DOW futures are +165, S&P futures are +9.5, and NASDAQ futures are +37.75. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
Schumer
For many Jewish people today, the rise of antisemitism is more than a crisis — it’s a five-alarm fire.
And to declare that only the Jewish people cannot have their own state, in any form, is a glaring example of that double standard Jewish Americans so fiercely object to.
China
Washington Post: The next front in the tech war with China: Graphite (and clean energy) By Lily Kuo
This time, it’s over the metals needed to power electric vehicles and make the computer chips and electronics that fuel the U.S. economy.
War
Washington Post: Negotiators push to extend pause in Gaza fighting as hostage return continues By Hazem Balousha , Loveday Morris and Ruby Mellen
Top U.S. officials headed to the region to work on extending the pause into something more durable to preserve the rare break in the intense fighting that has transfixed the world and thrown the whole region into turmoil.
Oil
The price of Brent crude, the global benchmark, has fallen to about $82 a barrel, from a high of more than $96 this year and $128 at its height early in the Ukraine war.
War
Democrats argued to their colleagues that any aid package should increase humanitarian assistance to Gaza and ensure that Israel do more to avoid civilian casualties.
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. At 6:10 a.m. ET DOW futures are +104, S&P futures are +15.25, and NASDAQ futures are +75. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Puerto Rico
But elevated death rates continued in the months after covid subsided, indicating a broader breakdown as the island lost medical staff and services and younger Puerto Ricans moved away, leaving behind a population that is increasingly elderly and facing age-related health complications.
War
The United Nations says 1.7 million of the 2.3 million residents in the Hamas-controlled enclave have been displaced.
Nori
Best Health: Why Vegetarians May Want to Add Nori to Their Diet By Laura Jeha
The algae used to make nori is a true superfood. Algae contains up to 50 percent protein by dry weight and all nine amino acids...
Have An Excellent Tuesday
"Street artist Peeta transforms ordinary buildings into three-dimensional abstract forms with his optical illusion art."
This is in Mannheim, Germany 2019.
War
Washington Post: Opinion - Why recognizing Palestine is the key to ending the war in Gaza By Daoud Kuttab
Washington’s refusal to recognize a Palestinian state deprives Israel of any reason to take the Palestinians seriously.
Stories
Washington Post: Thin rations, heavy bombing: Israel’s hostages start sharing their stories By Louisa Loveluck and Lior Soroka
Psychologists have warned of the dangers of pressing the newly released for information, citing the risk of re-traumatization.
Judges
This appears to be the primary defense strategy in Mr. Trump’s criminal cases: delay as much as possible to put off any trials until after next November, when Mr. Trump hopes to be in a position to put an end to his legal problems.
War
NY Times: Israel-Hamas War - Truce Appears to Enter 5th Day
The tenuous truce between Israel and Hamas appeared to hold for a fifth day on Tuesday, an act of continued cooperation that could allow for additional aid to flow into Gaza and the release of more hostages, prisoners and detainees than initially expected.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 5:50 a.m. ET DOW futures are +11, S&P futures are -1.5, and NASDAQ futures are -10.25. The market is poised to open mixed.
Monday, November 27, 2023
Trial
On Jan. 16, 2024, E. Jean Carroll’s second defamation trial against Trump begins.
His federal trial for 2020 election interference begins in Washington on March 4, and the New York state trial for falsifying business records begins March 25.
Two months later, the other federal criminal trial — regarding mishandling of classified documents — begins in Florida.
District Attorney Fani Willis has requested Aug. 5, 2024, as the proposed trial date in Trump’s Georgia state RICO case.
Bettina
The storm (named Bettina) explosively intensified Sunday over the Black Sea, generating wind gusts near 75 mph, waves upward of 30 feet and crippling amounts of snow.
Suspect
The affidavit said that the students were approaching a house when the gunman walked up, pulled out a handgun and started shooting at them from about two yards away.
Comedy
Check out the photos.
Good News Network: The Comedy Wildlife Photo Winners Are Here–And They’re Absolutely Adorable By Good News Network
Threats
Washington Post: Opinion - Democracy faces two threats. Trump is only one of them. By E.J. Dionne Jr.
The second is the ongoing assault on voting rights, which rarely commands the airwaves.
Hostages
Hamas taking children as hostages is as low as it gets.
Alma Or, 13, was also kidnapped from her home in Beeri with older brother Noam, 17. Both were released on Saturday. Their mother, Yonat, was killed in the Hamas attack.
War
After Avigail’s release, several members of her family reacted with relief. “We are blessed to give her lots of love and care and to help her build her life again,” Tal Idan, her aunt, wrote in a text message. “Feels like a miracle that came true,” she added.
War
NY Times: Israel-Hamas War - Hamas and Israel Open to Extension of Truce
Hamas said it would seek to extend a temporary cease-fire with Israel after the current four-day pause is over, a move that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel suggested he would consider if it led to more hostages being released.
The Market On Monday
Good morning. At 5:45 a.m. ET DOW futures are -45, S&P futures are -6.25, and NASDAQ futures are -21. The market is poised to open moderately lower.
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
Happy Thanksgiving!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving and extended holiday weekend. I'm going to take a four day break from the blog, and I will see you bright and early Monday morning, November 27th. The news is so dynamic and shifting lately, who knows where we will be at by Monday. Thanks for coming by the blog, it's purely a labor of love. I'm a bit of a news junkie and like you, I can't help but be concerned about the future of this tiny fragile blue, teeming with life, planet in a universe that is so vast that it is unfathomable. Be safe, don't let the fascists get the upper hand, and cheers to you and yours.
Plunging
U.S. gasoline prices are plunging just in time for Thanksgiving, and with the OPEC Plus oil cartel in apparent disarray, they could be heading lower for Christmas.
JFK
Washington Post: 60 years later, a Secret Service agent grapples with JFK assassination By James D. Robenalt
Then two more shots followed. “I saw a flash of white as the right side of the President Kennedy’s head exploded in a pink spray of blood, flesh and brain matter,” he wrote in his book. “I automatically ducked, not wanting to be splattered as we drove through it.”
Roots
Gift article available to everyone.
NY Times: The Roots of Trump’s Rage By Thomas B. Edsall
If Trump — in adopting language that he cannot help knowing replicates that of Hitler (especially the references to opponents as “vermin” and “poisoning the blood of our country”), we have to wonder if he has crossed into “new terrain.” That terrain, driven by grandiosity and dread of exposure (e.g., at the trials) could signal the emergence of an even less constrained, more overtly vicious and remorseless Trump who, should he regain the presidency, would, indeed act like the authoritarians he praises.
Gratitude
Washington Post: Opinion - This Thanksgiving, remember gratitude is key to making democracy work By the Editorial Board
Something else that doesn’t work — that must be abhorred — is the expression of discontent in hateful rhetoric or outright violence, both of which have become all too common.
Neck
A recent meta-analysis found that strength training, stretching and walking most likely reduce the recurrence of neck pain. Furthermore, Dr. Bizjack said, building the muscles in your upper back, chest and core helps keep your body in an upright position, which will also help prevent neck pain.Spine.org: North American Spine Society Public Education Series - Cervical Exercise: The Backbone of Spine Treatment
War
NY Times: Israel-Hamas War - Israel and Hamas Agree to Cease-Fire for Release of Hostages
The cease-fire’s start will be announced within the next 24 hours, and it will last for at least four days, said the government of Qatar, which helped lead the negotiations.
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. At 6:30 a.m. ET DOW futures are +20, S&P futures are +7.25, and NASDAQ futures are +34. The market is poised to open moderately higher.
The market will be closed on November 23 for Thanksgiving, and it will close at 1 p.m. ET on Friday November 24th.
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Argentinosaurus
"Argentinosaurus lived on the then-island continent of South America somewhere between 97 and 93.5 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous Period. It is among the largest known dinosaurs."
Senate
NY Times: The Senate Is Getting Less Democratic by the Minute By Jamelle Bouie
Roughly half of Americans, some 169 million people, live in the nine most populous states. Together, those states get 18 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate.
Rise
This would include (Trump) appointing to high public office political appointees to rubber-stamp his plans to investigate and exact retribution against his political opponents; make federal public servants removable at will by the president himself; and invoke special powers to take unilateral action on First Amendment-protected activities, criminal justice, elections, immigration and more.
Advice
Holiday family political advice from George Takei
"As you contemplate going home for the holidays, especially if you have any vocal MAGA relations, remember this coping strategy: Hear everything they say for what it is: from a brainwashed cult of millions who have been misled and manipulated. Do not attempt to deprogram, or you become just another enemy. Listen with patience, and try to find common things you both enjoy to talk about. Remind them of your humanity, and do things that let them remind you of theirs. That is how love ultimately prevails."
Important
Gift article available to everyone.
Washington Post: Opinion - At 33, I knew everything. At 69, I know something much more important. By Anne Lamott
Now there is some acceptance (partly born of tiredness) that I can’t rescue or fix anyone, not even me. Sometimes this affords me a kind of plonky peace, fascination and even wonder at people and life as they tromp on by.
War
Washington Post: Hamas signals ‘truce deal’ is near; Gaza’s Indonesian Hospital reels from strike
Hamas said Tuesday its negotiators are closer to a possible truce that could include an agreement to release a number of female and child hostages in exchange for prisoners held by Israel.
Speak
Gift article available to everyone.
Psychologically, emotional suppression can lead to an increased risk of depression. Physiologically, holding back our feelings is linked to a variety of health problems, such as immune dysfunction, hypertension and cancer. The stress of consistently biting our tongues and the potential resentment toward loved ones can also strain familial ties over time.
Killer Drones
...the United States, China and a handful of other nations make rapid progress in developing and deploying new technology that has the potential to reshape the nature of warfare by turning life and death decisions over to autonomous drones equipped with artificial intelligence programs.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 6:25 a.m. ET DOW futures are -64, S&P futures are -5.75, and NASDAQ futures are -6.25. The market is poised to open moderately lower.
Monday, November 20, 2023
National Lampoon - Radio Dinner Full Album
David Buckel
“My early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves,” he wrote. “Here is a hope that giving a life might bring some attention to the need for expanded action, and help others give a voice to our home, and Earth is heard.”
He was 60 years old.
Meidas Touch - GOP Challengers Pound The Crap Out Of Trump In Primary Fight
South
Damaging winds and tornadoes are expected across the South on Monday as a band of severe thunderstorms forms along a cold front. A few of the tornadoes could be intense and/or long-lived.
What
The world of artificial intelligence looks very different on Monday, after a weekend of extraordinary upheaval at OpenAI, one of the world’s highest-profile A.I. companies.
War
Washington Post: A midnight trip into northern Gaza reveals a shattered warscape By Steve Hendrix
Explosions sounded regularly. A fire burned on a nearby ridge. Every few miles, the sour stench of decaying bodies rose with the dust. Thousands of people are still believed to be entombed in the rubble.
Rosalynn
The Carters had been married for more than 77 years, the longest presidential marriage in U.S. history, and spent the final months of their time together at the family home in the town of Plains, in southwest Georgia. The former president decided in February to stop medical treatment for an aggressive form of melanoma skin cancer.
Why
Fascists reject liberalism. So do populists who think that freedom is overrated.
In ways large and small, antiliberalism is on the march. So is tyranny.
The Market On Monday
Good morning. At 6:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are +18, S&P futures are +2.5, and NASDAQ futures are +20.5. The market is poised to open moderately higher.
Friday, November 17, 2023
Fraud
Washington Post: New Hampshire shows how deeply rooted Trump’s fraud lies are Analysis By Philip Bump
He makes vague claims and, when he can, elevates “evidence” in support of those claims, although the evidence often proves illusory or contrived.
Ban
I know maga people who primarily get their political news from TikTok. I've read it and it's pure propaganda of the worst kind.
“Nepal just came out yesterday, and they’re banning it because they see what’s happening in their country. India did it. Why are we the last ones to do it?”
