Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

Trump's Iran grudge hangs over NATO summit
Axios | Barak Ravid, Marc Caputo | 07/07/26

President Trump arrives at Tuesday's NATO summit in Ankara still furious at the allies who refused to help him fight Iran - and determined to make sure they know it.

Why it matters: For years, Trump has openly questioned whether America's closest allies are strong enough, loyal enough or useful enough to deserve the protection they've relied on since World War II.

Some allies' refusal to open air bases for U.S. strikes on Iran - or to send forces to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz - has hardened his NATO skepticism into open contempt.

Zoom in: Trump has spent the weeks since the Iran war publicly humiliating Europe's leaders, including those who once believed their personal rapport could shield them from his wrath.

He has mocked Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, claiming she "begged" him for a photo at the G7. On Monday, Trump posted a meme of Meloni with the caption: "Restraining order needed." ... Read more

America's missing middle: The shrinking 45-64 population
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magazine | author | date

America has a missing-middle problem - and this one is demographic.

Why it matters: The shrinking 45-64 population could leave fewer experienced adults to run institutions, mentor younger workers and care for the fast-growing population behind them.

This is the Gen X-ish squeeze: The age group includes most of Generation X, plus younger baby boomers.

It also overlaps with the "sandwich generation" years, when many adults are juggling children, aging parents, careers and their own retirement worries.

By the numbers: The U.S. population ages 45-64 fell by 2.68 million from April 1, 2020, to July 1, 2025, according to new Census Bureau population estimates reviewed by Axios. ... Read more

Trump's Iran Deal: Billions for Iran, A Huge Bill for Taxpayers | Steve Rattner on Morning Joe | 1-1/2 weeks ago | 12:10

To Trump's Chagrin, Supreme Court Narrowly Protects Voting by Mail
TruthOut | Marjorie Cohn | 07/01/26

ith the 2026 midterm elections just four months away, the Supreme Court upheld a Mississippi law that allows mail-in ballots to be counted if they are postmarked by election day and received within five days thereafter. The court's 5-4 ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee leaves in place voting procedures in several states across the country.

"Good news rarely comes out of this Supreme Court, but [this] ruling is a win for our democracy," NAACP President Derrick Johnson told the Washington Post. Common Cause President Virginia Kase Solomón praised the decision because voters "shouldn't lose their voice because of mail delays outside their control."

Roughly 30 states, including Mississippi, allow the counting of mail-in ballots if they are mailed by Election Day but received later. As the amicus brief filed by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the NAACP, and other groups explains: "A study of the 2024 election found that, in 32 states, absentee voting accounted for approximately 31 percent of votes cast, with nearly 2 million Black voters, nearly 3 million Asian voters, and over 4 million Hispanic voters in those states relying on mail-in voting to participate in the election." ... Read more

Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, July 3, 2026 | PBS/Washington Week | 07/04/26 | 26:46

This Highway Excavation in San Diego Could Change The Human Timeline | Origins Revealed | 07/05/26 | 26:15

Political Memes That Deserve an Award | Tiny Hands Productions | 07/01/26 | 7:09

Putin's economy is running on fumes after Ukrainian attacks
Politico | Geoffrey Smith | 07/03/26

Drone and ballistic missile strikes are pushing Russia to breaking point

For four years, Russian President Vladimir Putin has largely managed to shield the population from the economic consequences of his war in Ukraine. No more.

The Ukrainian missile and drone strikes on key energy infrastructure in recent weeks has turned the war from a relatively minor irritant that most Russians could ignore into an immediate and increasingly acute fuel crisis.

Two-thirds of Russia's 83 regions are now reporting problems with fuel supply, an immediate inconvenience to millions and an equally immediate threat to the viability of many businesses.

The situation is particularly acute in Crimea, where the authorities have declared a state of emergency and banned all fuel sales. Tourism, key to the peninsula's economy in a normal year, has collapsed. ... Read more

'Onslaught of corruption': Trump's ex-lawyer on his $1B+ disclosure | CNN/Erin Burnett | 07/01/26 | 17:13

The revolt against U.S. AI labs
Axios | Madison Mills | 07/03/26

For 20 minutes on CNBC Wednesday, Palantir CEO Alex Karp unloaded on frontier AI labs, arguing they've become so obsessed with building ever-more-powerful models that they're failing their biggest enterprise customers.

The big picture: Karp put his finger on a trend: U.S. companies are increasingly turning to cheaper Chinese AI models just as the Trump administration is blocking access to some of the best American AI tools - a double whammy for domestic AI labs.

What they're saying: Karp said CEOs are telling him privately that they're getting "no value" out of enterprise AI tools, which they're "tired of." He added that AI labs are charging too much.

David Sacks, former White House AI czar, agreed with Karp. "Legacy media types" calling the interview a "crash-out" is "your first clue that he is actually saying something extremely insightful," Sacks wrote on X.

Zoom in: The cost part of the problem has driven a slew of companies to start using Chinese AI models to cut their IT bills. ... Read more

Haberman and Swan on 'Regime Change,' their book on Trump's unconstrained 2nd term | PBS NewsHour | 07/03/26 | 10:04

Olympian indicted for allegedly vandalizing Reflecting Pool
Axios | Josephine Walker | 07/03/26

Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn was indicted Thursday for destroying property after he allegedly reached into Washington D.C.'s Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, per a bench warrant reviewed by Axios.

Why it matters: It's the first indictment prosecutors have secured since President Trump asserted that vandals had damaged D.C.'s reflecting pool shortly after it underwent a $14 million upgrade.

What they're saying: "Today is about accountability for damaging a national resource, a national treasure, and that is the reflecting pool," U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro told reporters Thursday.

"A grand jury has returned a felony indictment against a defendant, David Hearn, for felony destruction of property, for which he faces 10 years in prison." ... Read more

Who's speaking for the Fed? Not Kevin Warsh
Politico | Victoria Guida | 07/02/26

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh has kicked off his tenure atop the central bank by pointedly saying little about his views on the outlook for the economy and interest rates.

But markets are still hearing plenty from the Fed.

Other U.S. central bankers are quickly filling the void, feeding investor expectations that the Fed will ultimately hike rates this year, perhaps the most crucial question facing the economy. In the past week, nearly a third of Fed officials have weighed in on where policy might be heading. Warsh has said next to nothing.

The Fed chief is the world's most important voice on economic policy, and Warsh's decision to stay quiet is a break from the decades-long practice of the chair providing key signposts for global investors. The lack of any clear signal from the top of the institution risks stoking volatility in financial markets, if expectations whipsaw about what the Fed might do, and makes it harder for businesses and households to plan for the future. ... Read more

What the Supreme Court's decision means for the FTC
Axios | Ashley Gold | 07/02/26

The Federal Trade Commission is now under stronger presidential control - with no more opportunity for partisan dissent - following the Supreme Court's decision that President Trump can fire its members.

Why it matters: Any realistic chance the agency in charge of consumer protection, kids' online safety, tech competition and fighting deceptive and unfair practices will have any Democrats during this administration is effectively gone.

The FTC will keep doing its job as outlined by the law.

Driving the news: The Supreme Court ruled this week that the president has the right to fire independent agency commissioners and overturned a long-standing precedent, Humphrey's Executor, which limited that ability. ... Read more

Exclusive: UN launches "AI for Good" commission
Axios | Ashley Gold | 07/01/26

A new UN-backed commission will bring top tech executives and heads of state to the same table to forge global solutions for AI, per an announcement shared exclusively with Axios.

Why it matters: As global AI regulation grows more splintered, this initiative is an attempt to connect the executives building advanced AI with a group of global politicians.

Driving the news: The UNand its International Telecommunication Union are convening the AI for Good Global Commission, which will hold its first meeting on July 8 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Who will be there ...

What they're saying: "AI is the most profound technological transition in history. And our values have to guide every step, because responsibility is the core of AI ethics," Benioff told Axios.

Between the lines: World governments are miles apart on how AI should be regulated, even as many countries agree that democratic values should govern the technology. ... Read more

Trump's second-term windfall: $1.4B in crypto earnings
Politico | Declan Harty | 06/30/26

President Donald Trump earned more than $1.4 billion in income through several cryptocurrency ventures in 2025, according to his latest financial disclosures, a staggering sum that underscores his embrace of the upstart industry.

The 927-page document, released Tuesday, shows that Trump made more than $636 million through CIC Digital - a Trump Organization affiliate that is behind his eponymous memecoin, $TRUMP. Most of that came through a licensing agreement that CIC Digital had with another entity called Celebration Coins.

Another Trump family-backed crypto company, World Liberty Financial, generated nearly $600 million in income, according to the disclosures. World Liberty was co-founded by Trump, his sons and the family of special envoy Steve Witkoff in the middle of the 2024 presidential campaign. It's now behind several prominent crypto tokens. ... Read more

Redistricting: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | LastWeekTonight | 05/30/26 | 23:22

This Is How the World Ends According to Science | PBS Terra | 2026 | 11:46

A Hidden Antarctic Tipping Point May Have Just Been Triggered | PBS Terra | 2026 | 11:33

It's Already Dead. They Just Won't Admit It. | Eric Hanson | 07/01/26 | 21:56

Trump's Supreme Court wins hit one wall: the economy
Axios | Courtenay Brown,Andrew Pantazi | 06/30/26

The Supreme Court this term gave President Trump powers over the federal government that no modern president has held. But it blocked his administration on two of the biggest issues for markets: the Fed and tariffs.

Why it matters: Its rulings hand the president firmer command of the federal bureaucracy, signaling to businesses that regulatory policy will be less stable - and more political - with every election.

But the cases preserve limits around the Fed and emergency tariff powers, where investors feared political interference could unsettle markets.

Between the lines: Case by case, the court gave Trump a freer hand to fire, deport and act before judges could catch up.

1. The court gave his administration major immigration wins, including on asylum access and immigrants' temporary protected status.
2. It repeatedly sided with Trump on emergency appeals, letting contested policies take effect while litigation continued.
3. It also let him fire Federal Trade Commission officials at will, weakening the ability of Congress to create independent agencies outside direct White House control. ...

How Peter Thiel Plans To Profit Off The Collapse of Democracy | More Perfect Union | 06/29/26 | 14:58

MIT Forecasts Civilization Will Fall By 2040 | Cooper Academy | 06/29/24 | 16:57

Civilization will be very different soon... | Pursuit of Wonder | 05/29/26 | 17:32

GOP reboots the Red Scare as young Democrats embrace socialism
Axios | Avery Lotz | 96/30/26

70 years after the Red Scare and 35 years after the fall of the Soviet Union, President Trump and Republicans are trying to re-introduce a national fear of "godless communists" ahead of the critical midterms.

it matters: A wave of resounding victories by Democratic Socialists has the GOP trotting out a message that last worked when most of those candidates weren't even born.

It's too soon to know if the message is working - but Trump and Republican strategists see an opening with voters old enough to remember Soviet-era nuclear drills and spy dramas. ... Read more

U.S. and Iran agree to halt strikes, hold talks in Qatar this week: U.S. officials
Axios | Barak Ravid | 06/28/26

The U.S. and Iran agreed to stop attacking each other, according to a senior U.S. official, as the two sides plan to hold talks this week in Qatar's capital to work out their dispute over the Strait of Hormuz.

Why it matters: The ceasefire is barely 11 days old and already on shaky ground with renewed strikes by both sides and President Trump's threat to restart the war and "complete the job."

The renewed fighting was sparked by competing interpretations of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end the war - especially its terms on the Strait of Hormuz.

The latest: "We decided to stop all the kinetic activity," a senior U.S. official tells Axios, using the military's term for strikes and other attacks. ... ... ... Read more

Senior care providers shaken by protected status ruling
Axios | Adriel Bettelheim | 06/29/26

Nursing homes and other providers of senior care are predicting upheaval and cutbacks in the wake of last week's Supreme Court decision to terminate temporary protected status for Haitian and Syrian immigrants.

Why it matters: Individuals who in some communities represent 8% or more of the staff and caregiving workforce could quickly lose their jobs, with no replacements at the ready, provider groups say.

1. The Haitian Temporary Protected Status workforce includes an estimated 13,000 nursing assistants and 8,000 caregivers, according to Americans for Immigrant Justice.
2. Some of the highest concentrations of health workers are in South Florida, Massachusetts and New York. ... ... ...

Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, June 26, 2026 | PBS/Washington Week | 06/26/26 | 26:46

Supreme Court rejects Trump effort to toss $5 million E. Jean Carroll verdict
Axios | Ben Berkowitz | 06/29/26

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an effort by President Trump to toss a $5 million civil verdict that found he sexually abused and defamed writer E. Jean Carroll.

Why it matters: It's another loss for Trump after years of trying to get the verdict thrown out. He has denied wrongdoing and alleged Carroll made false, politically motivated accusations. ... Read more

Nobody's sure where the Federal Reserve is heading
Axios | Neil Irwin | 06/26/26

Predicting what the Federal Reserve will do next has become an exercise in trying to game out the tactical instincts of a new chairman who isn't giving the world much to work with.

Why it matters: While it's early days in the Kevin Warsh chairmanship, his reaction function - the way he is likely to respond to incoming information about the economy - is a black box.

1. It means that a wide range of possibilities for interest rate policy this year remain in play - from multiple rate hikes starting in late July, to leaving rates steady indefinitely.
2. Warsh's policy direction should become clearer once he speaks more publicly and as incoming data sheds light on how quickly the inflationary pressures unleashed by the Iran war will recede. ... ... ...

Europe swelters under record June heat
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 06/26/26

New June temperature records were set in the U.K. and France this week as a deadly heat wave grips much of Europe.

Why it matters: A new World Weather Attribution analysis found human-caused climate change made this week's extreme heat "virtually impossible" 50 years ago.

The big picture: Extreme heat warnings have been issued across the continent this week, from Ireland to Slovenia.

"The heatwave will spread over large parts of Western, Central, and Southern Europe within the next two weeks," the UN's World Meteorological Organization said in a statement. ...

By the numbers: 45% of cities analyzed across 30 European countries have "already, or are predicted to, break their highest ever heat stress levels," per a World Weather Attribution statement on its study findings. ... ... ... Read more

China's AI progress strains U.S. alliance pitch
Axios | Ashley Gold | 06/26/26

Washington is racing to sell the world on American AI just as China's cheap and capable models are becoming harder to ignore.

Why it matters: Chinese models don't have to beat OpenAI or Anthropic to reshape the global AI order. They just have to be useful, available and widely adopted.

Between the lines: Experts argue that two key things are kneecapping the U.S. government's desire to export American AI:

1. An erratic export controls strategy that involves making decisions about access to advanced models on the fly.
2. Not paying sufficient attention to China's efforts to spread its open-source AI models abroad while deploying AI at scale across manufacturing, health care and other industries domestically. ...

$8 TRILLION Just LEFT America's Banks... | Wall Street Truthbombs | 06/26/26 | 9:08

Behind the Curtain: America's great political implosion
Axios | Jim VandeHei,Mike Allen | 06/25/26

American politics, reordered and reimagined by a decade of President Trump's rise, fall and resurrection, is imploding in substantial ways.

Trump asks Congress for $87.6B, mostly for Iran war
Axios | ebecca Falconer | 06/25/26

The Trump administration asked Congress on Wednesday for $87.6 billion in supplemental funding, most of it to cover costs related to the Iran war.

Why it matters: The request is likely to intensify debate over presidential war powers as lawmakers in both parties question whether Congress should have authorized military action against Iran.

By the numbers: $67 billion of the request would go to the Defense Department, including $21 billion for munitions, $17.3 billion for operational costs and $12.1 billion for classified programs, according to the letter. ... Read more

Americans think the Founders would be disappointed in today's U.S.
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Axios | Avery Lotz | 96/25/26

Back in 2001, most Americans thought the Founding Fathers would be pleased with how our country turned out.

Today, fewer than one in five agree, according to a recent poll.

Why it matters: Few things unite Americans in its 250th year like their shared conviction - across party, age, race and income - that the country has let its founders down.

By the numbers: More than three in four Americans (77%) say the signers of the Declaration of Independence would be disappointed by the United States we see today, the highest level of disappointment Gallup has ever seen. ... Read more