Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

In AI arms race, ethics may be the first casualty
Axios | Scott Rosenberg | 01/31/23

As the tech world embraces ChatGPT and other generative AI programs, the industry's longstanding pledges to deploy AI responsibly could quickly be swamped by beat-the-competition pressures.

Why it matters: Once again, tech's leaders are playing a game of "build fast and ask questions later" with a new technology that's likely to spark profound changes in society.

Social media started two decades ago with a similar rush to market. First came the excitement - later, the damage and regrets.

Catch up quick: While machine learning and related AI techniques hatched in labs over the last decade, scholars and critics sounded alarms about potential harms the technology could promote, including misinformation, bias, hate speech and harassment, loss of privacy and fraud. ... Read more

Record oil earnings fuel California backlash against industry profits
Politico | Wes Venteicher | 01/31/23

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A boom in oil industry earnings has created an opening for Gov. Gavin Newsom as he pursues a first-in-the-nation cap on industry profits.

Newsom on Tuesday renewed his accusation that the industry is "fleecing" consumers after five of the country's largest oil companies reported record or near-record quarterly earnings.

"While Californians were being ripped off at the pump last year, Big Oil's bottom line ballooned to levels never seen before in history, " he said in a statement shortly after a fifth company in a row reported eye-popping results. ... Read more

Blinken urges Netanyahu to build broad consensus around judicial overhaul plan
Axios | Barak Ravid | 01/30/23

Secretary of State Tony Blinken urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting in Jerusalem on Monday to build a broad consensus around his judicial overhaul plan.

Why it matters: Blinken's comments are the most significant and strongest remarks the Biden administration has made about the Netanyahu government's plan to weaken Supreme Court and other democratic institutions.

The plan has deepened political divisions in Israel and prompted mass demonstrations against Netanyahu's government.

What they're saying: "Building a consensus around new proposals is the best way to make sure they are embraced and endure," Blinken told Netanyahu after their meeting. ... Read more

The House GOP's investigations: A field guide
Politico | Jordain Carney | 01/30/23

Kevin McCarthy has told House Republicans to treat every committee like the Oversight panel - that is, use every last bit of authority to dig into the Biden administration. That work begins in earnest this week.

Several sprawling probes - largely directed at President Joe Biden, his family and his administration - set the stage for a series of legal and political skirmishes between the two sides of Pennsylvania Avenue. It's all with an eye on the true battle, the 2024 election, as Biden flirts with a reelection run and House Republicans hope to expand their control to the White House. ... Read more

My Vegetarian Dilemma: Tasting Lab-Grown Meat From Live Animals
Mother Jones | Oliver Milman | current

It was a confronting moment for a vegetarian. First, a pork meatball and then slices of bacon, balanced in a sort of mini BLT, were served to eat by beaming, expectant hosts. The meat even came from a named pig, an affable-looking swine called Dawn.

With some trepidation, I sliced into the meatball and ate it. I then took a nibble of the bacon. It was my first taste of meat in 11 years, a confounding experience made possible by the fact that Dawn, gamboling in a field in upstate New York, did not die for this meal.

Instead a clump of her cells were grown in a lab to create what's known as "cultivated meat," a product touted as far better for the climate-as well as the mortal concerns of pigs and cows-and is set for takeoff in the US.

"A harmless sample from one pig can produce many millions of tons of product without requiring us to raise and slaughter an animal each time," said Eitan Fischer, founder of Mission Barns, a maker of cultivated meat that invited the Guardian to a taste test in an upscale Manhattan hotel. The meatball was succulent, the bacon was crisp and, even to a vegetarian, both had the undeniable quality of meat. ... Read more

Biden confirms Jeff Zients will be chief of staff
Axios | Erin Doherty | 01/27/23

Former COVID-19 czar Jeff Zients will become President Biden's chief of staff, following longtime Biden strategist Ron Klain's departure, Biden confirmed in a statement Friday.

Why it matters: Zients takes the reins as Biden is expected to launch his re-election campaign and as congressional Republicans are prepared to launch a series of investigations into the administration.

Driving the news: "When I was elected President, I knew that I wanted Ron to lead the White House staff. He was uniquely qualified given his prior public service. He knows how government works, how politics works, how Congress and the White House works," Biden said in the statement. "He assembled the most diverse and the most talented White House team in history and leaned on them to solve impossible challenges." ... Read more

U.S. economy expands at 2.9% annual rate in fourth quarter
Axios | Courtenay Brown | 01/26/23

The U.S. economy grew at an annualized 2.9% rate in the final months of 2022, the Commerce Department said on Thursday.

Why it matters: Economists are bracing for a significant slowdown in economic activity as the Federal Reserve's interest rates hikes take hold, but that certainly wasn't the case in the final months of last year.

Economists expected the Gross Domestic Product figures to show the economy grew at a 2.6% annualized rate last quarter, after expanding at a 3.2% pace in the prior quarter. ... Read more

Veterans of the Obama-era debt ceiling standoff on the current one: We may be doomed
Politico | Adam Cancryn | 01/26/23

An economic adviser in the Obama White House, Kamin was among those charged with solving the 2011 standoff that rattled global markets, dented the economy and led to an embarrassing downgrade of America's credit rating. The government narrowly averted a catastrophic default that year, striking a deal with just days to spare.

But more than a decade later, with the nation deadlocked again over the debt ceiling, he fears the outcome this time around could be far worse.

"There’s the potential for it to be very bad," said Kamin, who did a stint as a top Biden economic staffer before returning to academia last year. "We're back here, and there's a real risk to the economy on the line." ... Read more

The Belmarsh Tribunal D.C. - The Case of Julian Assange | DN | 01/20/23 | 2:27:02

Doomsday Clock Moves Closer to Midnight: Peace Activist Frida Berrigan Demands Nuclear Disarmament | 01/25/23 | 7:21

U.S. and Germany to send battle tanks to Ukraine
Axios | Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath | 10/25/23

The U.S. and Germany separately announced on Wednesday they would send battle tanks Ukraine after pressure from NATO allies and Ukraine to supply the advanced armored vehicles as Kyiv prepares for a possible new Russian offensive.

Why it matters: The U.S. decision to supply Abrams M1 tanks and the German announcement on the Leopard 2 tanks is a major boost for Ukraine, which has pleaded with the West for months to send more advanced weaponry as it tries to take back territory from Russia.

Details: The U.S. will send 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine and will begin training Ukrainian troops on sustaining the tanks as soon as possible, Biden said at a press conference Wednesday. ... Read more

Salton Sea lithium deposits could help EV transition, support economically devastated area | PBS | 01/24/23 | 8:03

POWERFUL Speech by Bernie Sanders EXPOSES the Broken Medical System in U.S. | 01/20/23 | 10:14

Trump to GOP: Don't touch Medicare or Social Security in debt ceiling fight
Politico | Meridith McGraw | 01/20/23

Former President Donald Trump issued a warning to Republican lawmakers on Friday: Don't lay a finger on entitlement programs as part of the debt ceiling showdown with the White House.

"Under no circumstances should Republicans vote to cut a single penny from Medicare or Social Security," Trump said in a video message. ... Read more

Trump, attorneys sanctioned over $937,000 for allegedly abusing court
Axios | Shawna Chen | 01/20/23

A federal judge in Florida ordered former President Trump and his attorneys to pay over $937,000 in sanctions on Thursday,

Driving the news: District Court Judge Donald Middlebrooks ruled that they perpetrated a "continuing pattern of misuse of the courts" in order to "dishonestly advance a political narrative" in his lawsuit against Hillary Clinton.

Why it matters: Trump's suit baselessly accused Clinton, her campaign and other Democrats of working to paint a false narrative about Trump's alleged collusion with Russia in order to win the 2016 presidential election.

Middlebrooks dismissed the case last September, however, calling it a "two-hundred-page political manifesto" and ruling that Trump exceeded the legal statute of limitations. ... Read more

What to know about extraordinary measures as debt ceiling hits
Axios | Justin Green, Erin Doherty | 01/19/23

The U.S. has reached its $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, the Treasury Department announced on Thursday, with no obvious deal in sight.

Why it matters: The U.S. government runs on a deficit, so the Treasury Department will start "extraordinary measures" to avoid defaulting on government bonds.

Driving the news: Yellen in a letter to Congress said that Treasury was instituting a "debt issuance suspension period" beginning Thursday and running through June 5.

In addition, Treasury will not be able to fulfill certain investments, including to the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund. ... Read more

Here come the robot doctors
Axios | Dan Primack | 01/18/23

ChatGPT, the generative AI juggernaut, is getting a lot smarter when it comes to health care.

Why it matters: A lot of clinical diagnoses and decisions could someday be made by machines, rather than by human doctors.

Driving the news: ChatGPT recently passed all three parts of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination, although just barely, as part of a recent research experiment.

As the researchers note, second-year medical students often spend hundreds of hours preparing for Part 1, while Part 3 usually is taken by medical school graduates. ... Read more

TalkingStickTV - John Perkins - Confessions of an Economic Hit Man - Part I | older | 53:34

John Perkins: Extended Interview on Corporatocracy | ZTM | older | 1:08:38

What is an 'economic hitman'? | Decoded | Al Jazeera English | 2022 | 15:02

John Perkins: Economic Hitmen & Corporatocracy | | older | 2:23

Jim Jordan Is No Frank Church
TheIntercept | James Risen | 01/13/23

IN ONE OF their very first steps since taking over the House of Representatives, House Republicans have created a special new panel to launch wide-ranging investigations into what they allege are the ways in which the federal government has abused the rights of conservatives.

But Republicans and right-wing pundits have already given up on its clumsy formal title - the "Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government" - and are now simply calling it the new "Church Committee." By doing so, they are explicitly comparing it to the historic Church Committee of the mid-1970s, which conducted landmark investigations of the CIA, the FBI, the National Security Agency, and the rest of the intelligence community, none of which had previously been subject to real oversight. ... Read more

Japan doubles down on defense and U.S. alliance with an eye on China
Axios | Dave Lawler | 01/13/23

New announcements on deeper military cooperation between the U.S. and Japan - paired with Tokyo's drive to strengthen its own defense capabilities - confirm that the officially pacifist nation is a growing military power in East Asia. The moves could also give the U.S. new tools to defend against a potential invasion of Taiwan.

Why it matters: Japan was already arguably America's most powerful ally in Asia. Now spurred on by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, unprecedented missile launches from North Korea, and Chinese aggression toward Taiwan, Japan is doubling down on the U.S. alliance and plans to double its own defense spending by 2027. ... Read more

From Floating Airport, To Rare Look Inside Of A USS Nuclear Submarine | Super Structures | Spark | 09/30/22 | 2:34:44

White House confirms set of classified documents found in Biden's Wilmington garage
Axios | Erin Doherty | 01/12/23

The White House said Thursday that a second set of classified documents from when President Biden was vice president had been discovered at his Wilmington, Del. home.

The big picture: The announcement comes days after the White House confirmed that a batch of classified documents from his time as VP had been discovered in a private office space.

After the initial discovery of the government documents, the president's lawyers conducted a search at Biden's homes in Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, White House lawyer Richard Sauber said. ... Read more

3 ways Biden and Trump's classified doc discovery differed at outset
Axios | Erin Doherty | 01/12/23

Some GOP lawmakers are using the Biden classified documents revelations to draw parallels with the investigation into classified Trump documents seized from Mar-a-Lago, but at least so far, the two situations have differences.

The big picture: While the Biden investigation is still early, the incident has created a political debacle for the president and his Department of Justice - even if there are key distinctions from Trump's case. ... Read more

Gulf of Mexico (Full Episode) | Drain the Oceans | National Geographics | 01/05/23 | 47:04

Ocean heat content hits record high, a sign of global warming
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 01/11/23

Ocean heat content hit a record high in 2022, a new study found, in a clear indication of continued global warming.

The big picture: The research, published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, indicates that ocean warming is leading to widespread changes throughout the sea, with salty areas getting saltier and fresh regions of the ocean getting fresher.

This alters key ocean currents that distribute heat around the world.

Context: Warmer waters are also tied to stronger, wetter hurricanes, heat waves, droughts and heavy precipitation events, studies show. ... Read more

After Zero Tolerance (full documentary) | FRONTLINE | 01/xx/23 | 28:25

House returns for 12th speaker ballot after night of negotiations
Axios | Stef W. Kight | 01/06/23

The House returned to session Friday for another speakership vote after GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) lost on an 11th straight ballot Thursday - making this the longest speaker contest of the post-Civil War era.

State of play: McCarthy hosted a GOP conference call Friday morning and expressed optimism after a night of negotiations, two sources on the call said. But no deal has been reached, and even an agreement with a handful of persuadable rebels would not clinch the votes McCarthy needs to become speaker.

The big picture: On the second anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Republican infighting has ground the House's work to a halt - with still no indication of a viable path to consensus. ... Read more

The GOP's institutionalized anarchy
Axios | Mike Allen & Alayna Treene | 01/05/23

Regardless of who is elected speaker, House Republicans have systematically gutted the power of their leaders - and institutionalized de facto anarchy.

Why it matters: Long gone are the days of rank-and-file members pining for money, endorsements or committee assignments from their top leaders. Now, it's the rank-and-file lawmakers - and outside allies juiced by social media - holding the real power.

Kevin McCarthy's desperate scramble to win the speakership has made things a lot worse for any future leader - thanks to a series of concessions he privately knows are anathema to sane governance.

And it got worse last night: After losing his sixth vote for speaker in two days - leaving the House with no official members, rules or committees - McCarthy tried to pacify the GOP rebels with even deeper concessions. ... Read more

Hope Hicks, Ivanka Aide Fumed at Karlie Kloss’ Jan. 6 Tweets
TheDailyBeast | Zachary Petrizzo | 01/03/23

After a mob stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, a top aide to Ivanka Trump and presidential adviser Hope Hicks fumed about tweets posted by supermodel Karlie Kloss, the wife of Jared Kushner's brother.

That's according to text messages released by the House's Jan. 6 committee - which also reveal the aide, Julie Radford, and Hicks were worried that the insurrection would destroy their reputations.

After the riot, Kloss took to Twitter to write: "Accepting the results of a legitimate democratic election is patriotic. Refusing to do so and inciting violence is anti-American." She also responded to a Twitter user who encouraged her to "tell your sister-in-law and brother-[in]-law" by replying, "I've tried." ... Read more

The melting ice of the Arctic (1/2) | DW Documentary | 12/26/22 | 42:25

The melting ice of the Arctic (2/2) | DW Documentary | 01/01/23 | 42:25