Home · News · News Aug 2017 · Aug 29 2017
Tuesday August 29, 2017

Texas Lawmakers Who Voted Against Relief for Hurricane Sandy Now Ask For Help With Harvey
MotherJones | Ashley Dejean | 08/28/17

All of a sudden, Ted Cruz is a big fan of disaster relief.

... "Given the potential catastrophic impact that the Hurricane may have on Texas communities," the senators wrote, "we strongly support this request and urge you to provide any and all emergency protective measures available by a major disaster declaration."

The irony of this request was not lost on lawmakers from states that had been devastated by hurricane Sandy in 2012. At that time, Texas lawmakers overwhelmingly voted against recovery assistance for New York and New Jersey. When asked about that hypocrisy today on MSNBC, Cruz dodged the question. "There's time for political sniping later," he said. "I think our focus needs to be on this crisis and this disaster." ... Read more

According to a preliminary and informal estimate by disaster economist Kevin Simmons of Austin College, Harvey's economic toll "will likely exceed Katrina" -- the most expensive disaster in U.S. history.

Harvey Is What Climate Change Looks Like
Politico | Eric Holthaus | 08/28/17

It's time to open our eyes and prepare for the world that's coming.

... But there's an uncomfortable point that, so far, everyone is skating around: We knew this would happen, decades ago. We knew this would happen, and we didn't care. Now is the time to say it as loudly as possible: Harvey is what climate change looks like. More specifically, Harvey is what climate change looks like in a world that has decided, over and over, that it doesn't want to take climate change seriously.

Houston has been sprawling out into the swamp for decades, largely unplanned and unzoned. Now, all that pavement has transformed the bayous into surging torrents and shunted Harvey's floodwaters towards homes and businesses. Individually, each of these subdivisions or strip malls might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but in aggregate, they've converted the metro area into a flood factory. Houston, as it was before Harvey, will never be the same again. ... Read more

Tidal Flooding and Sea Level Rise: The Growing Impacts of Global Warming | Union of Concerned Scientists | older | 3:29

Boomtown, Flood Town | PICTURES
Politico | author | date

Climate change will bring more frequent and fierce rainstorms to cities like Houston. But unchecked development remains a priority in the famously un-zoned city, creating short-term economic gains for some while increasing flood risks for everyone. ... Read more

Scoop: Trump frustration with Tillerson rising fast
Axios.com | Jonathan Swan | 08/27/17

There's a ticking problem with Rex Tillerson, and it's growing louder by the day, according to officials inside and close to the White House.

President Trump has been growing increasingly frustrated with his Secretary of State. One time recently, after Trump had returned from a meeting on Afghanistan, a source recalled Trump saying, "Rex just doesn't get it, he's totally establishment in his thinking." Tillerson's jaw-dropping comments on TV today will likely only worsen their relationship. ... Read more
Tillerson Likely Trump's Next Fire? | TYT | 08/28/17 | 6:37

Big bank insiders are selling off shares in their companies
Axios.com | author | date

Board members and executives at the top six banks in the U.S. have been consistently selling their own banks' shares this year, Financial Times reports, based on analysis of disclosures tracked by Bloomberg.

To get to the point: That's not a big vote of confidence for the economy from some of the people who know it best. This includes JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley, which collectively have sold a net 9.32 million shares on open market since the beginning of this year. Stark contrast from last year, when they bought more than they sold. ... Read more

For Whom Has Trump Made America Great? (#112) | Keith Olbermann | 08/28/17 | 9:24
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Tuesday, August 29 [12:00]
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Tuesday, August 29 (FULL) | 59:02
Note: on the full 59:02 video look for small white (or black) circles on the Progressbar they denote the different news stories. You can move the pointer on the Progressbar to jump to each story, and around the video.
Note2: You might have to scroll the windows down 1/2 inch to capture the full video.
  1. Headlines
  2. Dr. Robert Bullard: Houston's "Unrestrained Capitalism" Made Harvey "Catastrophe Waiting to Happen"
  3. Hurricane Harvey: Zip Code & Race Determine Who Will Bear Burden Of Climate Change
  4. Immigrants in Houston Face Triple Threat: Flooding, Racist Texas Law SB4 & Potentially Losing DACA
  5. 1,200 Die as "Devastating" Climate Change-Linked Floods Submerge Parts of South Asia
  6. Just Before Harvey, Trump Admin Revoked Rules Requiring New Infrastructure to be Climate Resilient
"This Is the New Normal": How Climate Change Is Fueling Massive Storms like Harvey | DN | 08/29/17 | 11:04
As Catastrophic Flooding Hits Houston, Fears Grow of Pollution from Oil Refineries & Superfund Sites | DN | 08/29/17 | 15:07
Viral Tweet Saves Senior Citizens From Hurricane Harvey | TYT | 08/28/17 | 7:13
Providing basic care for Afghan orphans beset with challenges | Aljazeera | 08/29/17 | 2:29
The1a.org
With Major Floods, It's "When," Not "If" For Many Cities | 1a.org | 08/29/17 | 1hr
Many parts of the United States face dual watery threats. First, giant storms like Harvey, which has dropped nine trillion gallons of water on Texas (enough to cover the lower 48 states with a puddle as deep as the height of three pennies). Then there's the issue of rising sea levels, which, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists would make routine, chronic flooding a fact of life in hundreds more communities across the country in just a few decades (see the map below).

With both of these threats working in tandem, many cities -- and not just those on the coasts -- are already seeing more regular flooding and more severe occasional floods.
PBS NewsHour full episode Aug. 28, 2017 | PBS News Hour | 08/28/17 | 54:32
Donald Trump Sought Moscow Business Deal While Campaigning For President | MSNBC Rachel Maddow | 08/28/17 | 22:03
The Panama Papers: Secrets Of The Super Rich | Journeyman Pictures | 04/11/16 | 43:48
Top secret deals in Panama allows the rich to build vast banks of hidden wealth. Kings, criminals, presidents and prime ministers have been outed for dodging the rules and having assets stashed in tax havens abroad.
'Trump Was Winging It': What Moscow Deal Reveals | MSNBC Morning Joe | 08/29/17 | 14:32
Robert Mueller Eyeing Trump's Response To Russia Meeting At Trump Tower | MSNBC 11th Hour | 08/28/17 | 9:43
Joe: Arpaio A 'Thug'; Pardon Could Haunt President Donald Trump Later | MSNBC Morning Joe | 08/28/17 | 6:32
Is Rex W. Tillerson Right In Saying President Donald Trump Speaks For Himself? | MSNBC Morning Joe | 08/28/17 | 12:52
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Profiles in Tremendousness: Pardon Edition - Sheriff Joe Arpaio | TheDaily Show | 08/28/17 | 8:03

08.29.2017. 13:38



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Environment & Climate Change
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The term "climate change" is often used to refer specifically to anthropogenic climate change (also known as global warming). Anthropogenic climate change is caused by human activity, as opposed to changes in climate that may have resulted as part of Earth's natural processes.

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AI - Artificial Intelligence | Machine Learning | Deep Learning
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Quantum mechanics | AI - Artificial Intelligence
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Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles.  It is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, quantum field theory, quantum technology, and quantum information science.
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Economy, Wall Street and Banksters

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Intelligence Agencies/Deep State?

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Daniel Ellsberg | Pentagon Papers
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Rana Foroohar and Fall of American Business
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China Valley of Tunnels

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911
911

On September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists attacked the Unites States. They hijacked four airplanes in mid-flight. The terrorists flew two of the planes into two skyscrapers at the World Trade Center in New York City. The impact caused the buildings to catch fire and collapse. Another plane destroyed part of the Pentagon (the U.S. military headquarters) in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth plane crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Officials believe that the terrorists on that plane intended to destroy either the White House or the U.S. Capitol. Passengers on the plane fought the terrorists and prevented them from reaching their goal. In all, nearly 3,000 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks.

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The Vietnam War

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Trump's Mashups
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Trump's Sexcapades
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Kristin Anderson (1990s)
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Trump's Speeches | Rallys |Interviews
Trump's Speeches | Rallys

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