Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

Pentagon turmoil deepens as Hegseth consolidates control
Axios | Zachary Basu | 09/02/26

The Pentagon has entered a period of profound institutional turmoil, as a crisis of leadership at home converges with a crisis of capacity abroad.

1. Driscoll, a rising star whom Trump had tapped for sensitive diplomacy in Ukraine, resigned after months of clashes with Hegseth over the Army's leadership and modernization.
2. His exit, following Hegseth's firing of Army chief Gen. Randy George, leaves the service without Senate-confirmed civilian or uniformed leadership in the midst of the Iran war. ...

U.S. strikes Iran tankers under new "tanker for tanker" policy
Axios | Barak Ravid | 09/01/26

The U.S. military attacked two Iranian government tankers as part of the round of strikes that took place on Tuesday, U.S. officials said.

Why it matters: This is the first time the U.S. military has struck Iranian tankers in retaliation for Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz - rather than to prevent them from violating the naval blockade.

A U.S. official said the move was part of a new "tanker for tanker" policy approved by President Trump to further deter Iranian attacks on tankers that move through the strait.

Driving the news: U.S. officials said around 100 targets were attacked during Tuesday's strikes.

1. The Iranian government tankers were anchored off Iran's coast north of the U.S. naval blockade line. U.S. drones launched missiles that hit their engine rooms. ...
... ...

'There Is A Cover-Up Afoot': Whitehouse Drops Explosive Trump-Epstein Warning | The Financial Express | 08/30/26 | 47:10

The secret history of Trump's Venezuelan oil baron
Axios | Marc Caputo | 09/01/26

President Trump's historic Venezuelan oil deal revolves around a colorful and controversial man from Caracas with a long history of supporting U.S. interests - including the operation to remove former strongman Nicolas Maduro.

1. "No Betancourt, no energy-security deal," a U.S. official told Axios. "And Maduro might still be in power if it wasn't for him."
2. Betancourt's life story has an oil-like boom-and-bust aura, replete with billion-dollar deals, international intrigue, a longstanding money-laundering probe and even a Spanish castle raided by authorities. ...

MAGA Voters Are Starting to Notice Something | The Kinzinger Report | 08/31/26 | 16:04

Supreme Court allows Trump's ballroom construction to proceed
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Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 08/31/26

The Supreme Court on Monday permitted President Trump to proceed with plans to build the White House ballroom.

Why it matters: The 5-4 ruling is likely the final word on the project, which can now proceed with above-ground work after it was halted while the case played out in court.

Driving the news: The majority decision noted that the justices did "not pass upon the legality of the government's East Wing project."

They concluded only that, based on the submissions before the court, "the government is likely to prevail" in showing that the National Trust for Historic Preservation "lacks standing" to challenge the project in federal court "and that the remaining stay factors favor relief." ... ... ... Read more

Growing Up in the 1950s... It will make you cry | LifeWorthLiving | 04/23/26 | 1:31:54

Bessent met with Russian counterpart at G20
Axios | Courtenay Brown | 08/31/26

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov on the sidelines of the G20 Monday, a striking sign of the Trump administration's willingness to reopen high-level engagement with Moscow.

Why it matters: Russia's top financial official is attending the gathering of global economic policymakers in person for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. His appearance exposed the sharp divide between the U.S. and its European allies over how Moscow should be treated.

The intrigue: A Treasury spokesperson told Axios that Bessent and Siluanov discussed Trump's Ukraine peace plan and economic growth.

In a statement, Russia's Finance Ministry said the talks covered financial issues between the two nations and G20 engagement. ... Read more

Headteacher saves 900 children from deadly flash flood in Nepal
The Guardian | Harry Cockburn | 08/30/26

A headteacher in Nepal evacuated 900 children from a school moments before a deadly wall of water struck their town amid the devastating flash floods that have killed almost 800 people and left thousands missing.

Rajendra Dawadi decided to halt classes and order children to higher ground after receiving warnings about the scale of the flooding heading their way.

Dawadi, the headteacher at Tribhuvan Trishuli secondary school in Nuwakot, which has 1,600 pupils, said he had received four warnings from different people within minutes, including one from Betrawati, a town directly upstream.

"If we had made the decision 10 minutes later, all of us, including the students and me, would not be able to speak to you today," he said. ... Read more

"There Is No Way Out Of This..." - Douglas MacGregor | LifeWorthLiving | 08/29/26 | 11:08

Stocks are sexy, but bonds are the most important market in the world
Axios | Emily Peck | 08/31/26

The bond market is growing more interesting lately - and that's concerning.

Why it matters: The $160 trillion global bond market is like the plumbing in your house. You don't think about it until it stops working and you've got a nasty situation on your hands.

The big picture: Long-term government bond yields for the U.S. and other G7 countries have been climbing - hovering at levels last seen in 2007 before the financial crisis - and raising concerns about borrowing costs growing more expensive for countries that are already staring down heavy debt loads.

The AI boom, meanwhile, has spread to the market for corporate bonds, sparking worries about a bubble.

What to watch: It's a perfect moment to release a book laying out the history of the bond market: "A Fabulous Debt: The Epic Story of How Bonds Built the Modern World" by Robin Wigglesworth is out on Sept. 29.

Catch up quick: In the book, Wigglesworth reminds us that some of the biggest financial messes of the past 50 years were bond blowups. ... ... ... Read more

Why Gen Z Hates AI But Uses It The Most (ft. Bernie Sanders) | More Perfect Union | 08/30/26 | 22:58

Why Nepal's rare, deadly flood struck without warning
Axios | Herb Scribner | 08/29/26

Thousands of people are missing and hundreds are dead after a flash flood in Nepal that struck with little warning earlier this week.

1. Glacier-driven floods under clear skies - sometimes called "blue-sky floods" - can happen in the U.S. too, especially in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest, where sudden releases of glacial water can send floods and debris racing down mountain valleys.
2. This actually happened at Mount Rainier in Washington state in 2001, when debris flow from a glacier-related hazard caught people off guard during fair weather. ...

Oligarchs Flee as Putin's War Economy COLLAPSES | The Geo Network | 08/30/26 | 21:31

The UN and Red Cross Are Calling for Restrictions on AI Drones and Killer Robots
TruthOut | Mike Ludwig | 08/27/26

In a world where autonomous weapons can choose targets on their own, data can put us all at risk, a US veteran warns.

The United Nations and the Red Cross are warning that rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic weapons are bringing the world dangerously close to crossing a moral red line that has inspired dystopian science fiction for decades: the autonomous targeting of humans by deadly machines.

In an appeal to world leaders on August 25, the International Committee of the Red Cross and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres renewed their call for a global treaty establishing restrictions on autonomous weapons systems. They warned that the technology behind AI targeting software and unpiloted drones has developed at record speed since the UN and Red Cross first called for such negotiations three years ago.

"At the same time, scientists and engineers developing these systems have themselves raised the alarm," Guterres and the Red Cross said in a joint statement on August 25. "When the architects of this technology are calling for limits, States cannot afford to remain passive. This year must mark a turning point."

In other words, the world must act now to rein in what are commonly known as "killer robots" or "slaughterbots" - unpiloted drones, robotic dogs, robot sentries armed with guns, AI targeting systems, and other digitally driven death machines that can identify, strike, and eliminate human beings on their own. ... ... ... Read more

Trump being a wise investor!!!! | DN | 08/28/26 | 26sec

The top-growing jobs in the country
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Axios | Emily Peck, Erin Davis | 08/28/26

Jobs in health care and social assistance are projected to see the most growth over the next decade, according to a report out Thursday from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Why it matters: The explosive growth in these sectors comes courtesy of the changing fabric of the country - an aging population that needs more care.

Those demographics are also a reason job growth overall is projected to slow over the next decade.

The big picture: Over the next 10 years, BLS projects that the U.S. economy will add 5.9 million jobs. Total employment would increase to 176.2 million, growing 3.5%.

1. That's a lot slower than the 10.9% growth recorded in the previous decade.
2. Other reports have flagged the huge drop in immigration over the past year or so as contributing to slower job growth. ... ... ...

Why Big Tech's AI spending is bigger than you think
Axios | Emily Peck | 08/27/26

To paraphrase Justin Timberlake in his iconic turn in the 2010 film "The Social Network," a trillion dollars isn't cool. You know what is? $3 trillion.

The big picture: That's roughly how much money seven Big Tech companies, including Google, Microsoft and Nvidia, have committed to spending on AI-related infrastructure in off-balance-sheet commitments, according to a new analysis from Morgan Stanley.

And that's on top of the estimated $770 billion in debt and lease obligations that are on the balance sheets.

Why it matters: The analysis finds that the total amount of spending on AI is much bigger than the already-mind-blowing headlines suggest, and - more of a red flag - it's more leveraged than is perhaps appreciated.

How it works: Off-balance-sheet commitments are essentially financial obligations that don't show up in a company's official tally of what it owns and owes - it's not an official debt but an obligation to pay someone something in the future. ... Read more

If You Don't Understand Bonds, You Don't Understand Money | Wealth Logic | 06/25/26 | 18:29

Manufactured housing's affordability problem
Politico | Cassandra Dumay | 08/23/26

Washington is hoping to fix the nation’s lack of affordable housing with manufactured homes - but the loans to buy them are still expensive.

Congress's new, bipartisan housing law is expected to lower the price of units that are largely constructed off-site and sometimes sit on land that is rented rather than owned. But the law doesn't fully address interest rates for the loans on those homes, which often reach near double digits. And that price could still lock out many prospective buyers.

The so-called personal property loans that are often used to purchase manufactured houses generally can't be bundled and sold off to investors, which increases the risk for the lender that will likely be stuck holding them. The result: rates that are multiple percentage points higher than typical mortgages. ... ... ... Read more

Trump's "election integrity" threat: Defunding police
Axios | Brittany Gibson | 08/26/26

State and cities nationwide are rebelling against the White House's push to withhold millions of dollars in police and anti-terrorism funding unless they impose new voting rules.

Why it matters: President Trump's effort to impose election policies that he hasn't been able to get through Congress has now drawn two lawsuits from state and local governments that accuse the administration of threatening to defund the police unless Trump gets his way.

1. "They are trying to defund public safety and counterterrorism," Harris County (Texas) Attorney Abbie Kamin told Axios.
2. Harris County, which includes Houston, and the other jurisdictions stand to lose millions in public safety grants unless they impose the controversial voting rules Trump wants: a plan to transition to paper ballots, proof of citizenship verifications, mandatory hand-counted audits of 5% of all ballots, and more.
3. (A separate part of Trump's "election integrity" push got a boost Monday when the Supreme Court lifted a block on his plan to use the Postal Service to help limit deliveries of mail-in ballots. The plan still faces legal challenges.)

I Tracked Down the Company Ruining Fruit| More Perfect Union | Geopolitical Economy Report | 08/26/26 | 15:13

AI is supercharging hacks of everyday utilities
Axios | Sam Sabin | 08/26/26

Years of warnings about the digital vulnerabilities lurking inside basic utilities are colliding with a new reality: AI is making those weaknesses easier for hackers to exploit.

Why it matters: AI is lowering the barrier for state-backed hackers looking to disrupt or manipulate water systems, power plants and other critical infrastructure.

Driving the news: A recent wave of cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure is raising new questions about the preparedness of U.S. water systems and a British power plant.

1. The Telegraph reported that Iran-backed hackers broke into a U.K. power plant, prompting a four-day shutdown around the time a series of cyberattacks on U.S. water systems began.
2. U.S. officials warned last week that hackers were actively using an AI-generated exploitation script to target a device commonly found in critical infrastructure that has played a key role in the ongoing attacks on U.S. water systems.

Scenes From the 2026 World Humanoid Robot Games
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The Atlantic | Alan Taylor | 08/24/26

More than 600 teams brought 2,000 robots to Beijing for the second edition of this annual competition, where humanoid robots compete in a wide variety of events, including athletics and household tasks.

LOTS more pictures ... ... ... Read more

Trump's mail-in voting rules raise fears of federal overreach
Axios | Josephine Walker | 08/24/26

President Trump's push to restrict mail-in voting through the U.S. Postal Service could allow the federal government to exert control over voting data and state-run elections, voting rights groups say.

Why it matters: Questions remain about what will happen with mail-in voting this election cycle. On Monday, the Supreme Court cleared one roadblock for Trump's push to restrict mail-in ballots via the U.S. Postal Service, but a separate nationwide injunction keeps the rule blocked for now.

1. The administration's proposed rule for mail-in ballots could scramble the 2026 midterms by forcing local and state officials to adopt an untested federal system on short notice and potentially undermine confidence in U.S. elections.
2. The policy would require USPS to review outgoing mail-ballot envelopes for compliance with federal requirements before accepting them.
3. Election officials would also have to use a new Federal Ballot Mail Portal to submit personal information about voters receiving mail ballots. ... ... ...
Read more

Mark Carney's defiance of Trump has Canada cheering
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 08/24/26

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has turned his decision to hold firm against President Trump's tariff threats into a rallying point for Canadians as their trade clash escalates.

Why it matters: The mild-mannered former Bank of Canada and Bank of England governor is holding firm against Trump despite the threat of further economic pain for Canadians.

Context: Carney campaigned on standing up to Trump but has generally dealt with the unpredictable U.S. president with the measured temperament of his central banking days.

That combination of restraint and resolve has made Carney Canada's "man for the moment," Andrea Lawlor, an associate professor of political science at McMaster University in Ontario, tells Axios.

Driving the news: Carney walked away from trade talks with the Trump administration Friday and vowed to match new 50% U.S. tariffs "dollar for dollar," winning broad support at home. ... Read more

Crisis in dollar system: Why USA bailed out Japan | Geopolitical Economy Report | 08/14/26 | 35:07

U.S.-Canada trade talks collapse, 50% tariffs go into effect
Axios | Ben Berkowitz, Courtenay Brown | 08/22/26

Trade talks between the U.S. and Canada fell apart late Friday night, and both sides said steep new tariffs will go into effect.

Why it matters: It's an unprecedented breakdown in relations with the second-largest U.S. trading partner.

Catch up quick: Trump last month threatened to invoke Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to hit a slew of Canadian goods with additional 50% duties, including alcohol, hockey equipment, cement and dairy products.

No president has ever used Section 338 to impose tariffs since it became law in 1930. ... Read more

Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, 8/21/26 | PBS/Washinton Week | 08/22/26 | 26:47

What drives Donald Trump's delusion that he rules the world | 60 Minutes | 07/23/26 | 20:55

Trump says communities that oppose data centers are "making a mistake"
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 08/23/26

President Trump defended the expansion of data centers in an interview with his former fixer, Michael Cohen, that aired in full on Sunday.

Why it matters: Trump's support comes as data centers face growing backlash in both red and blue states.

What he's saying: Trump told Cohen during their interview that the U.S. was leading China in AI "by a lot" and that data centers were not taking power from the grid.

1. "They're making their own power plants. They're building the most beautiful, you've never seen power plants like this," Trump said during the interview that was recorded last week.
2. "Communities that don't take a data center, they're making a mistake" because data centers create "tremendous amounts of jobs and money," Trump added.

Subscriptions: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | LastWeekTonight | 08/23/26 | 22:50

The data center fight is heating up.
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Axios | Herb Scribner | 08/19/26

Data centers have become the face of AI backlash, with celebrities, politicians and protesters pushing to slow their growth.

Why it matters: America's sharply rising public opposition to data centers - which fuel our everyday use of the internet - could pose an existential threat to AI's growth.

State of play: There are at least 4,000 data centers nationwide, with some 3,000 under construction or planned.

How do data centers help AI?

Newer data centers provide the computing power behind AI, requiring massive amounts of infrastructure and power.

The servers contain specialized chips, like graphics processing units (GPUs), that perform the calculations needed to train and run AI models.

Engineers guide the process, but the servers do most of the work.

1. A Berkeley Lab report updated in June estimates that U.S. data centers could consume 9.5% to 15.3% of U.S. electricity by 2030.
2. Data centers can need 5 million gallons of water a day for cooling alone. In 2023, U.S. data centers consumed about 17 billion gallons of water, mostly for cooling, according to the Berkeley Lab report.

What is the factual evidence of non-citizens voting in the last 50 years?

Here's what the documented record shows over roughly the past 20-25 years (most rigorous data doesn't go back a full 50 years, since systematic tracking is recent):

Scale found in major reviews

1. A Heritage Foundation database - often cited by proponents of stricter voting laws - identified just 23 instances of noncitizen voting between 2003 and 2022 [Migration Policy Institute]. A separate analysis of that same database found 68 cases of proven noncitizen voting dating back to 2000, amounting to less than 0.0001% of total votes [American Immigration Council].
2. A Brennan Center study of the 2016 election found suspected noncitizen voting made up just .0001% of 23.5 million votes cast across 42 surveyed jurisdictions, with 40 of those 42 jurisdictions reporting no known incidents at all [Migration Policy Institute].
3. A 2010 survey of Minnesota county attorneys found only nine possible incidents investigated out of 2.9 million ballots cast after the 2008 election [Brennan Center for Justice]. A Rutgers researcher who studied a DOJ initiative through 2005 found only 14 convictions of noncitizens for voting nationwide [Brennan Center for Justice].
4. In 2024/2025, a review in Michigan found 16 credible cases of noncitizen voting out of 5.7 million votes cast [NPR].

Is there any factual evidence that there is fraud or corruption in voting by mail in ballot.?

What the large-scale studies find:

1. Research published by the Brookings Institution found that cases of mail-in voting fraud account for merely 0.000043% of all ballots cast by mail, roughly four out of every 10 million, looking at the 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022 general elections [Time].
2. A 2020 study by the American Statistical Association compared states with widespread mail voting to others and found no evidence that voting by mail increases the overall risk of fraud [Time].
3. A 2012 News21 investigation found just 491 alleged cases of absentee ballot fraud since 2000, a period spanning hundreds of millions of votes cast [Time].
4. Of roughly 250 million mail-in ballots cast over two decades, one review found only 204 fraud allegations and 143 convictions [The Conversation].

So fraud does happen - it's just rare and localized: the assembled evidence supports a pragmatic conclusion that mail-ballot fraud exists at a low but nonzero level, concentrated in opportunistic, local incidents rather than widespread conspiracies [Factually]. Examples include isolated cases of stolen ballots, someone signing a ballot for a family member without permission, or local officials caught tampering with a small batch - these do get prosecuted when caught, but they're outliers, not a pattern.

Bottom line: The overwhelming weight of peer-reviewed and empirically verified research - across studies from different institutions and time periods - finds mail-in voter fraud is real but statistically negligible, not a systemic threat to election outcomes. Claims of fraud at a scale sufficient to change election results rest on far shakier methodology and haven't held up in courts, audits, or academic review.

This MAJOR Weather Pattern Is Setting Up Faster Than Anyone Expected | F For Forecast | 08/20/26 | 21:11

The REAL reason for the Iran War: Huge profits for Trump insiders and Big Oil | Geopolitical Economy Report | 08/10/26 | 17:40

Trump's Lawyers

GOP issues stark warning to AI companies
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Axios | Alex Isenstadt | 08/19/26

The Senate GOP campaign arm, in a private memo to top AI companies, warns that toxic views of U.S. data centers are killing the party's chances of holding a vital seat in Ohio.

1. In the memo, obtained by Axios, the National Republican Senatorial Committee says Democrats have made data centers a "centerpiece" of their campaign to defeat Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) - and that it's working.
2. "If he loses and data centers get the blame, politicians across the country will take notice - and they will not go near the next one," the memo says. "This has become a sleeper issue for the entire election cycle."

Why it matters: Republicans want the AI companies to do whatever it takes to stem the public backlash.

The big picture: AI CEOs and top Republicans share in the rising panic. They tell us internal polls show data centers are as popular as spent nuclear waste, and more broadly have become a proxy for feelings about AI.

There are now more than 4,000 data centers online across the U.S., with another 3,000-plus centers proposed or in progress. ... Read more

If Trump Has His Way, 20,000 Kids Could Face Immigration Court Without Lawyers
TruthOut | Sonali Kolhatkar | 08/14/26

As part of its relentless project of mass deportation, the Trump administration has taken particularly brutal aim at the most vulnerable population of immigrants: children. If the federal government has its way, about 20,000 unaccompanied minors will soon face immigration court hearings without legal representation.

For decades, Congress has allocated funding for unaccompanied immigrant minors via the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), as the result of the Flores Settlement, struck after a 1993 Supreme Court decision. That agreement - established in 1997 and still in effect - made it the federal government's responsibility to ensure that unaccompanied children arriving in the U.S. are treated with a certain baseline of care.

The agreement was cemented under Republican President George W. Bush, who signed a 2008 bipartisan anti-trafficking bill into law and directed the federal government to ensure the care and safety of unaccompanied migrant children, including funding their legal representation.

During his first term, President Donald Trump aggressively targeted this and several other federal programs supporting unaccompanied migrant kids. When Trump took office for a second time in early 2025, he resumed those attacks by ending a contract with Acacia Center for Justice, a Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization that subcontracts with hundreds of legal advocates to represent children in immigration courts. ... Read more

I Ask A Celebrated Climate Scientist About The Upcoming 'Godzilla' El Nino | Michael Mann | 08/18/26 | 8:22

Ossoff tests Democrats' appetite for going low
Axios | Mike Zapler | 08/19/26

The firestorm over Sen. Jon Ossoff's suggestive remark about President Trump's right-hand woman has raised a bigger question about the type of campaign Democrats will run in 2028.

Why it matters: Trump has made schoolyard taunts and personal insults a staple of presidential politics. One of the big strategic calls for Democrats in 2028 is whether to fight on Trump's terms - or bet that voters are exhausted and ready for something a bit more dignified.

Driving the news: At a campaign rally Sunday, Ossoff went a step beyond the cutting one-liners he's delighted Democratic audiences with, veering into personal insinuation.

"He doesn't want to do the job," Ossoff said of Trump. "He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenseless flying palace gifted by the emir of Qatar." ... Read more

Trump torches allies as Iran exposes limits of hard power
Axios | Zachary Basu | 08/18/26

President Trump has a new rule for America's partners: Cross him in one theater, and the consequences will follow you into the next.

Why it matters: Trump has spent his second term battering U.S. allies, humiliating their leaders and using decades-old security relationships to settle personal and political scores.

The Iran war has only deepened those impulses: Trump is growing angrier at allies that stayed out of the conflict - and punishing them as he struggles to end it.

Zoom in: South Korea - recently hailed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as a "model ally" - is the latest and most surprising casualty in Trump's retribution campaign. ... Read more

Dems plan Oman war powers push after Trump threatens bombing
Axios | Andrew Solender | 08/18/26

Congressional Democrats are planning a new push to constrain President Trump's war powers after he threatened Monday to "bomb the shit" out of Oman.

Why it matters: War powers resolutions, though largely symbolic, have become Democrats' go-to tool for trying to rein in what they see as a far too trigger-happy administration.

"At this point we may just need to file war powers resolutions for the 192 other countries," Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) told Axios.

Driving the news: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) announced in a statement on Monday afternoon that he will introduce an Oman war powers resolution when the Senate returns to session next month. ... Read more

Trump's Iran strategy opens Pacific security gap
Axios | Josephine Walker | 08/18/26

The USS George Washington's deployment from Japan to the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln will leave the U.S. without an aircraft carrier in the western Pacific - just as adversaries in the area are flexing their military power.

Why it matters: Temporary carrier gaps are not uncommon, but the absence of a striker ship in the Pacific highlights how the Middle East is once again dictating American military policy. It also has raised questions about how the U.S. can sustain a formidable presence in both regions.

The big picture: The absence of a U.S. carrier in the Pacific has happened before, and China has previously exploited those gaps by sailing its strike groups closer to U.S. allies like Taiwan and Japan, Mark Cancian, a retired Marine Colonel and a current senior adviser at CSIS, tells Axios.

While a full-scale invasion is unlikely, China could use the void to ratchet up its presence in the Pacific, he says. ... Read more

The Trump family's crypto empire is getting a bank. But not the kind you think
Axios | Herb Scribner | 08/18/26

Why it matters: The move expands Trump's grip on the world of cryptocurrency, which delivered the president a $1 billion windfall last year alone.

1. WLTC is an affiliate of the Trump family-backed World Liberty Financial.
2. DT Marks SC LLC, a corporate entity with ties to Trump's family, has an investment in the proposed bank, too. Eric Trump, son of Donald Trump, signed an agreement over that investment. ...

Behind the massive blowback against Flock cameras
Axios | Astrid Galvan | 08/17/26

Activists and citizens across the political spectrum are pushing back against license plate readers made by Flock and similar companies, fueled by privacy concerns and suspected police misuse.

Why it matters: Flock cameras are suddenly emerging as the next big target of populist anti-tech, pro-privacy sentiment, alongside the data centers fueling the AI boom.

The big picture: Flock has over 120,000 cameras across the country, the company tells Axios.

Advocates say the cameras help quickly track down criminals, making cities safer.

Opponents say they're a form of constant surveillance that infringes on residents' civil liberties. Some have even turned to sabotaging the cameras. ... Read more

Trump Dismantled climate.gov. This Former NOAA Employee Rebuilt It | Amanpour and Company | 08/15/26 | 18:25

Trump's legal team shrinks
Politico | Erica Orden | 08/16/26

When Donald Trump first hired an elite legal team at Sullivan & Cromwell early last year, it included five of the firm's partners, all of whom had clerked for Supreme Court justices and one of whom had served as acting solicitor general.

Today, all but one is gone.

Since April, four of the five members of Trump's defense team have exited the firm, either to rival shops or because the president elevated them to positions in his administration or the judiciary.

That leaves Sullivan & Cromwell co-chair Robert Giuffra Jr. as the single partner responsible for leading Trump's defense in a smattering of high-profile appeals, including an attempt to shed the president's criminal conviction.

In July, Giuffra was the sole signatory from Sullivan & Cromwell, aside from a junior-level lawyer, on a petition asking the Supreme Court to overturn an $83.3 million jury award ... Read more

ProPublica Event: The Trillion-Gallon Time Bomb: Inside the Oil Industry's Wastewater Crisis | ProPublica | 05/05/26 | 1:01:01

AI could bring Mayo-quality health care to everyone
Axios | Jim VandeHei | 08/17/26

My wife, Autumn, has spent nearly a quarter of the past four years in ERs and hospitals, untangling and battling three chronic conditions - and a shamefully broken U.S. medical system.

We live in Washington, D.C., with top-rated hospitals in our backyard. Yet her experience has been eye-opening and often horrifying, especially for a nation that spends twice as much on medical care as our rivals.

What it's like: ERs so hauntingly jammed she's often stacked like cargo in hallways, on a stretcher, waiting double-digit hours for care.

Well-intentioned and often talented nurses overwhelmed and overworked.

Doctors forbidden from, or uninterested in, working with experts beyond their domain to solve complex conditions. It's random luck if you get a specialist willing to even show up to your hospital room.

You need a forensic detective to hunt down medical records scattered across random portals and hospitals. And then a miracle to get anyone to piece them together for clues. "It feels like riding a stationary bicycle when you need to be somewhere," Autumn says. ... Read more

Trump's Lawyers