Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

Portland sees peaceful night of protests following withdrawal of federal troops
TheGuardian | Chris McGreal | 07/31/20

Thursday night's protest passed off without major incident or intervention by the police in the absence of federal officers

The withdrawal of federal agents from frontline policing of demonstrations in downtown Portland significantly reduced tensions in the city overnight.

Protesters in support of Black Lives Matter once again rallied near the federal courthouse that became a flashpoint, and the scene of nightly battles amid the swirl of tear gas, after Donald Trump dispatched agents to end what he called anarchy in the city after weeks of demonstrations.

But in the absence of the federal officers, Thursday night's protest passed off without major incident or intervention by the police.

On Wednesday, Oregon's governor, Kate Brown, agreed with the White House that the state police would take over responsibility for guarding the courthouse after weeks of escalating protests. She said that "Trump's troops" were behaving like an occupying army in Portland and provoking unrest with heavy-handed tactics. ... Read more

Top Republicans reject Trump's suggestion to delay election
Axios | Orion Rummler | 07/31/20

Top Republicans in Congress shot down President Trump's suggestion on Thursday to delay November's election, which he made on Twitter while claiming, without evidence, that mail-in voting will cause mass voter fraud.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.): "Never in the history of the country, through wars, depressions, and the Civil War have we ever not had a federally scheduled election on time, and we'll find a way to do that again this Nov. 3 ... We'll cope with whatever the situation is and have the election on Nov. 3 as already scheduled."

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa): "It doesn't matter what an individual in this country says, we still are a country based on the rule of law, we must follow the law until either the Constitution is changed or until the law is changed."

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah): "So I'm a fan of voting by mail. Secondly, of course we are going to have an election on time. It's unthinkable that that would not be the case." ... Read more

Trump floats delaying November election
Axios | staff | 07/30/20

President Trump suggested delaying November's election in a Thursday tweet, again claiming without evidence that mail-in voting will lead to widespread voter fraud.

The state of play: While this is the first time that Trump has actively floated changing Election Day, he does not have the power to do so. That lies exclusively with Congress, per a Washington Post breakdown of the issue.

The National Constitution Center also has done a deep dive on the subject, which found that many states have the power to delay general election voting due to an emergency -- though postponing a presidential election would be completely unprecedented.

What he's saying: "With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???" Trump tweeted. ... Read more

Donald Trump's Campaign Is Pretending There's No Pandemic
HP | Kevin Robillard | 07/30/20

The president's campaign has aired 63,000 ads about crime and zero ads about coronavirus this month.

President Donald Trump's campaign advertising is focused largely on issues that are of minimal concern to the American electorate, a HuffPost analysis of campaign ad spending data found, airing zero ads about the coronavirus pandemic in the month of July.

Trump is trailing former Vice President Joe Biden in public polling, and Republicans and Democrats alike are pointing to the utter irrelevance of much of the campaign's messaging as a key reason why he is now a steep underdog to win a second term in the White House.

As the pandemic swept across the sunbelt states over the course of July, and the death total has climbed to more than 150,000 Americans, Trump and his campaign have devoted much of their energy to issues other than keeping Americans safe from the virus or rebuilding the economy afterward: painting Biden as a senile tool of the Democratic Party's left wing; protecting statues of historical figures with ties to the Confederacy; making blatantly racist appeals to voters while repealing a little-known rule encouraging the construction of affordable housing in the suburbs; continuously litigating the investigation into Trump's ties to Russia during the 2016 campaign and cracking down on protests around the country. ... Read more

10 wildest lines from Trump's Fox News interview | CNN | 07/28/20 | 6:07

'I want to stand up to Trump': Portland protesters unleash fury over BLM, Covid-19 and economy
TheGuardian | 07/29/20 | date

Some come early and leave before the atmosphere turns and the trouble begins. Others sit out the peaceful demonstration and arrive in time for the nightly showdown to the beat of drummers rallying Portland's ad hoc force of protesters against "Trump's troops".

But each evening follows the same broad ritual in downtown Portland in support of Black Lives Matter and against Donald Trump's deployment of federal paramilitaries even as the protests have swelled to draw in organized groups of mothers, military veterans and first time demonstrators pushed too far by the president.

The peaceful protest against racial injustice that gets going around dusk typically evolves toward midnight into a staged confrontation with officers from the border patrol, US Marshals Service and other agencies deployed for the unusual task of facing down popular anger on American streets. ... Read more

Trump administration to allow yearlong renewals for current DACA recipients
Axios | Stef W. Kight | 07/29/20

The Trump administration is allowing Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients to renew their protections under the program for one year as officials begin a review of DACA and how the administration attempted to end it, a senior administration official announced Tuesday.

Between the lines: Despite the Supreme Court ruling that Trump illegally ended the Obama-era program in June and a federal judge ruling earlier this month that it must be restored to its full status, the administration will continue to reject new applications, according to the official. ... Read more

AG Barr's Testimony Drives Former U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg To Utter 'I Miss Jeff Sessions' | MSNBC | 07/29/20 | 13:07

Nadler accuses Barr of undermining democratic norms in opening statement
Axios | Fadel Allassan | 07/28/20

House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) painted the integrity of the Justice Department as "more at risk than at any time in modern history" in opening remarks at a hearing for Attorney General Bill Barr Tuesday, accusing him of shielding President Trump from responsibility and eroding democratic norms.

Why it matters: The hearing, which focuses on the DOJ's alleged politicization under Barr, is the attorney general's first time appearing before the committee. Barr in his own remarks accused the committee's Democrats of trying to discredit him over his investigations into the origins of the FBI's Russia probe.

What he's saying: Nadler said Barr has "aided and abetted the worst failings of this President," listing six decisions he claims have "left us deeply concerned about the Department of Justice." ... Read more

Mary Trump's insider interview on 'most dangerous' President | 60 Minutes Australia | 07/26/20 | 27:23

USA vs China: The new cold war on the horizon | DW | 05/22/20 | 43:22

China & Uighurs: Last Week Tonight | John Oliver | 07/26/20 | 20:51

How voting by mail could save the US election | Vox | 05/01/20 | 8:31

If That Was A Bubble, What's This?
ZeroHedge | staff | 07/23/20

Just three stocks, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft, make up more than 16% of the S&P 500 Index and over a third of the Nasdaq 100 Index.

Together they are now valued at nearly $5 trillion. That's larger than the entire economy of Germany and roughly the size of the Japanese economy. ... Click on Image to Zoom in

SPACs take over Wall Street
Axios | Kia Kokalitcheva | 07/23/20

Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman on Wednesday raised $4 billion via an IPO for a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), the largest such offering in history.

Why it matters: SPACs, publicly traded shell companies designed to acquire other companies, are flooding Wall Street -- creating new paths to the public markets for everything from DraftKings to Virgin Galactic to health insurance software giant MultiPlan.

Nearly 50 SPACs have already gone public in 2020, raising more than $20 billion. For context, SPACs raised $13.3 billion in all of 2019 and less than $4 billion in 2015. ... Read more

Economy vs Wall Street/Stock Market

Fauci: I was not invited to Trump's coronavirus briefing | CNN | 07/21/20 | 11:10

Coronavirus Infections 13x Higher Than Reported In Some Parts Of US
ZeroHedge | staff | 07/22/20

Data released by the CDC suggest that large numbers of asymptomatic people may have kept the virus spreading in their communities, directly contradicting the findings of another study cited by the WHO last month.

Following a similar finding by scientists in Sweden, the researchers working with the CDC found that even the hardest-hit area in the study - ie NYC, where 1 in 4 people have been exposed according to antibody surveillance studies - isn't anywhere near achieve herd immunity, which scientists believe will require 60% infection rate. ... Read more

The economic recovery is reversing
Axios | Dion Rabouin | 07/22/20

The New York Fed's Weekly Economic Index (WEI) is reversing course, showing real-time, high-frequency economic data is again turning negative after climbing back from April and May's coronavirus-driven swoon.

The WEI represents the common component of 10 different daily and weekly series covering consumer behavior, the labor market and production. It is scaled to the four-quarter GDP growth rate and if it continues on its current trajectory would mean U.S. GDP is poised to sink by 7% in Q3 and decline year over year for the third straight quarter.

What's happening: In addition to the New York Fed's index, real-time data trackers from Goldman Sachs, Jefferies and Oxford Economics have all turned from stalling to falling. ... Read more

The deepening financial risk of water scarcity
Axios | Bryan Walsh | 07/21/20

Roughly 60% of real estate investment trust (REIT) properties are projected to experience high water-stress by 2030 -- more than double the number today, according to a report that Axios had early access to from the asset management firm BlackRock.

Why it matters: Climate change is set to exacerbate water scarcity in much of the world. Investors who fail to price in the cost of adapting to water stress risk being left high and dry.

Roughly two-thirds of U.S. REIT properties are projected to be in high-risk water zones, double the proportion today. This includes most of the country west of the Mississippi.

By the numbers: Almost all REIT properties in Malaysia, Japan, and Australia, among other countries, will likely be in what are classified as high-risk water zones within 10 years, according to the report.... Read more

Kayleigh McEnany holds White House press conference | FoxNews | 07/21/20 | Live

Federal Agents, Local Streets: A ‘Red Flag’ In Oregon
HP | Gillian Flaccus & AP | 07/21/20

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Federal law enforcement officers’ actions at protests in Oregon’s largest city, done without local authorities’ consent, are raising the prospect of a constitutional crisis -- one that could escalate as weeks of demonstrations find renewed focus in clashes with camouflaged, unidentified agents outside Portland’s U.S. courthouse.

State and local authorities, who did not ask for federal help, are awaiting a ruling in a federal lawsuit filed late last week by state Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. She said in court papers that masked federal officers have arrested people off the street, far from the courthouse, with no probable cause -- and whisked them away in unmarked cars. ... Read more

President Trump goes one-on-one with Chris Wallace | FoxNews | 07/19/20 | 40:07

Trump's Fox News interview, in 4 minutes | WP | 07/19/20 | 4:00

Krystal and Saagar BREAK DOWN: Trump's DISASTROUS Chris Wallace Interview Is Why He's Losing | 07/20/20 | 13:55

Coronavirus: Conspiracy Theories: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | John Oliver | 07/19/20 | 22:21

US scientists rebuke Trump over coronavirus response and other affronts
TheGuardian | Emily Holden | 07/20/20

More than 1,200 members of the US National Academy of Sciences have rebuked Donald Trump's "denigration of scientific expertise", an unusual move for a community which has historically avoided the political sphere.

The co-organizers of an open letter seeking to "restore science-based policy in government" say they have rapidly gained signatures during the coronavirus pandemic. Scientists have watched the Trump administration downplay the crisis and ignore expert advice, including the need to wear masks and the dangers of using unproven drugs.

In the latest affront to the scientific world, the White House is reportedly seeking to block funding for testing and tracing, which scientists widely agree is critical to slowing the spread of the coronavirus. ... Read more

11 Of The Craziest Moments From Mary Trump's New Book, Too Much And Never Enough
elle.com | Madison Feller | 07/14/20

Mary, 55, is a clinical psychologist and has been reported as being an "outcast" in her family. Throughout the book, she traces her family history to explain and understand how the president became the person he is today. (And just to clarify the family tree here: Mary is the daughter of President Trump's deceased older brother, Fred Trump Jr.) According to the New York Times, Mary writes that her grandfather, the president's father, was a "sociopath" who failed Fred Trump Jr. and whose actions led to the president's bullying and aggressive behaviors, including "cheating as a way of life." The Times describes the book as depicting "a multigenerational saga of greed, betrayal and internecine tension."

Yada, yada, yada ... Read more

Visible Earth - Global Climate Change | NASA | current

Earth Now Tutorial | current | 8:45

NASA's Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) and Operation IceBridge missions | current | 8:37

NASA's Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) and Operation IceBridge missions investigate Greenland's thinning ice sheets from above and below. | current | 4:18

7-day average of new Covid-19 cases in US reaches highest level yet | CNN | 07/15/20 | 10:15

Poll: 62% say Trump is hurting efforts to slow spread of coronavirus
Axios | Marisa Fernandez | 07/16/20

62% of registered voters say President Trump is hurting efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus, compared to 31% who say he's helping, according to a Quinnipiac University poll out Wednesday.

The big picture: 36% of Americans approve of Trump's overall job performance, and 60% disapprove -- his worst net approval rating since August 2017 and a 6-point drop from June. The poll has Joe Biden with a 15% advantage nationally over Trump, widening his lead from last month by 7 points.

Between the lines: On his handling of the economy, Trump's approval rating dropped to 36% in July as states force more businesses to close again due to the nationwide surge in coronavirus cases. ... Read more

Cuomo on Trump's priorities: How does he have time for this BS? | CNN | 07/16/20 | 10:59

Trump tears into Biden policies at press conference in the Rose Garden | FoxNews | 07/15/20 | 1:03:56

'Stunningly Dangerous': Watch Trump Insider React To Mary Trump's Bombshells | MSNBC | 07/15/20 | 5:27

Florida's coronavirus outbreak is getting worse
Axios | Caitlin Owens | 07/15/20

By the numbers: Of the 20 U.S. metro areas with the highest daily case growth, nine are in Florida, according to Nephron Research.

Driving the news: The state health department announced 132 new deaths yesterday, the most the state has seen since the pandemic began.

Between the lines: Deaths lag several weeks behind new cases, and cases are skyrocketing. ... Read more

Roger Stone gives fiery first interview following commutation from Trump | Sean Hannity | FoxNews | 07/13/20 | 16:00

Roger Stone RANTS About US Justice System | TYT | 07/14/20 | 13:21

The CIA's new license to cyberattack
Axios | Zach Dorfman | 07/15/20

In 2018 President Trump granted the Central Intelligence Agency expansive legal authorities to carry out covert actions in cyberspace, providing the agency with powers it has sought since the George W. Bush administration, former U.S. officials directly familiar with the matter told Yahoo News.

Why it matters: The CIA has conducted disruptive covert cyber operations against Iran and Russia since the signing of this presidential finding, said former officials.

Driving the news: According to the Yahoo News story, of which I am the lead author, the 2018 covert action finding gives the CIA much more power to undertake such operations without needing prior approval from the National Security Council. ... Read more

Donald Trump's niece says president is dangerous and calls on him to resign
TheGuardian | author | date

Mary Trump, whose bombshell book was published Tuesday, tells ABC that the country is 'on a precipice'

Trump, whose bombshell book about the family was published on Tuesday and trailed in the Guardian and other outlets last week, told ABC that the US is "on a precipice" with the November election coming up. ...

... Donald Trump's extraordinary character and outrageous behavior "threaten the world's health, economic security and social fabric" and were shaped by his "high-functioning sociopath" father during childhood, the book says. ...

... "He is utterly incapable of leading this country and it's dangerous to allow him to do so," Trump told ABC's George Stephanopoulos on Wednesday morning, in her first interview since a court on Monday lifted a restraining order against her brought by Donald Trump's brother Robert to try to prevent her speaking out. ... Read more

Leaving The Pandemic Response To States Doomed The Country To Fail Together
HP | Alanna Vagianos | 07/14/20

As many developed countries have finally gotten their arms around the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States remains in crisis ? and, in many states, is getting worse by the week.

Coronavirus cases are climbing in nearly 40 U.S. states. On Sunday, Florida broke the U.S. record for most coronavirus cases in a day with 15,300 new cases ? that's more cases than were detected in all of Europe the same day. In Arizona, confirmed and possible COVID-19 patients were using a record number of intensive care unit beds and ventilators on Sunday. A day later, California announced it would roll back reopenings, closing all bars, movie theaters and indoor dining as cases in the state continue to surge. ... Read more

Erin Burnett: Fauci opens his mouth with facts, Trump does not | CNN | 07/13/20 | 10:12

Brianna Keilar: Trump is peddling in debunked and illogical crap | CNN | 07/13/20 | 10:57

Florida Smashes Grim Record: 15,000 New Cases in Single Day!
HP | Reuters | 07/12/20

If Florida were a country, it would rank fourth in the world for the most new cases a day behind the United States, Brazil and India.

Its daily increases have already surpassed the highest daily tally reported by any European country during the height of the pandemic there. Florida has also broken New York State's record of 12,847 new cases on April 10 when it was the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak. ... Read more

Roger Stone Still A 'Convicted Felon,' And 'Rightly So,' Says Robert Mueller In Angry Op-Ed
HP | Mary Papenfuss | 07/11/20

"Russia's actions were a threat to America's democracy," Mueller wrote in response to Trump's criticism. "It was critical that they be investigated."

Former FBI director and special counsel Robert Mueller lashed out in a rare op-ed in The Washington Post Saturday against President Donald Trump's commutation of Roger Stone's prison sentence on seven felonies. Stone "remains a convicted felon," Mueller snapped.

The Russia investigation into possible collusion with the Trump campaign in the 2016 presidential election was of "paramount importance," Mueller wrote. "Stone was prosecuted and convicted because he committed federal crimes. He remains a convicted felon, and rightly so."

... Trump's action was hugely controversial, particularly since he stood to benefit if Stone kept his mouth shut, and rewarded him when he did. Stone said as much Friday to NBC journalist Howard Fineman. The president "knows I was under enormous pressure to turn on him," Stone told Fineman. "It would have eased my situation considerably. But I didn't." ... Read more

President Donald Trump defends decision to commute Roger Stone's sentence | CNN | 07/11/20 | 4:37

Meet The Press Broadcast (Full) - July 12th, 2020 | Meet The Press | NBC News | 07/12/20 | 47:35

Face The Nation: Terry Shaw, Scott Gottlieb, Tom Wyatt, Anthony Salvanto | 07/12/20 | 23:11

'He Is and Always Will Be a Terrified Little Boy'
Politico | Michael Kruse | 07/13/20

Too Much and Never Enough (at least on its own) is not likely to hurt the president politically. (There's plenty else at this point that's doing that.) It's not going to lead immediately to any legal jeopardy he doesn't already face. It's almost certainly not going to "take Donald down," either, as she characterizes her impetus--first, she reveals, by having been foundationally helpful to a Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times investigation, then by writing the rest of what she herself has written. But what this book does do is help us understand him, offering the most incisive rendering yet of why he is the way he is. ... Read more

The U.S.' New Default Coronavirus Strategy: Herd Immunity
Axios | Caitlin Owens | 07/10/20

By letting the coronavirus surge through the population with only minimal social distancing measures in place, the U.S. has accidentally become the world's largest experiment in herd immunity.

Why it matters: Letting the virus spread while minimizing human loss is doable, in theory. But it requires very strict protections for vulnerable people, almost none of which the U.S. has established.

The big picture: Cases are skyrocketing, with hospitalizations and deaths following suit in hotspots. Not a single state has ordered another lockdown, even though per capita cases in Florida and Arizona have reached levels similar to New York and New Jersey's in April. ... Read more

Anderson Cooper slams 'lies and noise' from Mike Pence | CNN | 07/09/20 | 10:48

As COVID-19 Cases Surge, Fauci Says U.S. Is Still 'Knee-Deep' In First Wave
HP | Nick Visser | 07/09/20

"As a country, when you compare us to other countries, I don't think you can say we're doing great," the White House adviser said.

Fauci made the comments on FiveThirtyEight's "Podcast-19" as a surge in cases has spread across many states, some of which are setting daily records for new infections and warning of rapidly filling hospital beds. At the same time, calls for Americans to wear face masks and avoid large crowds have remained highly controversial in some places, setting off heated confrontations even as some leaders have conceded they may have reopened their states too soon.

"You have to be having blindfolders on and covering your ears to think that we don't live in a very divisive society now, from a political standpoint," Fauci said. "I mean, it's just unfortunate, but it is what it is. ... So I think you'd have to make the assumption that if there wasn't such divisiveness, that we would have a more coordinated approach." ... Read more

The coming political brawl over reopening schools
Axios | staff | 07/09/20

The Trump administration is engaged in a full-court press to reopen schools this fall: The president threatened this morning to cut off federal funding if schools don't reopen, and claimed — without evidence — that Democrats want them closed through November for political reasons.

What they're saying: "Ultimately, it's not a matter of if schools should reopen — it is simply a matter of how," Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said, assailing "elite" D.C.-area schools for their "disaster" of an attempt at distance learning this spring. "They must fully open and they must be fully operational." ... ... Read more

House panel probes Trump administration's response to Russian bounties on U.S. troops | PBS | 07/09/20 | Live

Brace Yourself for Trump's Great Recession | Robert Reich | 07/06/20 | 5:08

Kayleigh McEnany embarrasses herself with absurd defense of Trump’s threat to re-open schools | Brian Tyler Cohen | 07/08/20 | 6:21

Supreme Court splits on Trump tax cases, potentially shielding returns until after election
Politico | Josh Gerstein and Kyle Cheney | 07/09/20

However, the justices divided on how much deference the courts should show to the president and they ordered further proceedings in lower courts.

The Supreme Court has delivered a split decision on subpoenas for President Donald Trump’s tax returns and personal financial records, unanimously rejecting his broadest claims of “absolute” immunity in a New York state criminal investigation, but ruling that lower courts did not do enough to scrutinize congressional subpoenas for similar records.

The pair of highly-anticipated decisions likely mean more delays and court proceedings on both subpoenas, increasing the odds that Trump makes it to the November election without releasing his tax and financial details to the prosecutors and Congressional committees demanding them. ... Read more

Deadly floods and landslides in Japan -- in pictures
TheGuardian | Photograph: Kyodo/Reuters | 07/08/20

Heavy rain that caused deadly floods in southern Japan has moved north-east, hammering large areas of the country's main island, swelling rivers, triggering mudslides and destroying homes and roads. At least 58 people have died over several days of flooding ... Read more

As COVID-19 Cases Surge, Fauci Says U.S. Is Still ‘Knee-Deep’ In First Wave
HP | Carla Herreria Russo | 07/06/20

Dr. Anthony Fauci said the U.S. is in a “serious situation” that needs to be addressed immediately as states experience surges in coronavirus cases.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the U.S., said Monday that the country is in a “serious situation” that needs immediate attention as the coronavirus surges in certain parts of the country.

During a live interview streamed on Facebook, Fauci noted that the U.S. is “still knee-deep in the first wave” of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I would say this would not be considered a wave. It was a surge, or resurgence of infections superimposed upon a baseline ... that really never got down to where we wanted to go,” Fauci told National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins. ... Read more

Inside the wicked saga of Jeffrey Epstein: the arrest of Ghislaine Maxwell | 60 Minutes Australia | 07/05/20 | 27:21

Head of the Snake - Wexner, Maxwell’s, Mossad & Mega Group Exposed | 06/06/20 | 1:07:56

Our Planet | Frozen Worlds | Netflix | 04/17/20 | 53:31

**Markets swell as the economy shrinks
Axios | Jennifer A. Kingson | 07/03/20

The economy is sputtering, but the markets are thriving -- a highly unusual event that shows how the coronavirus has thrown all bets off.

Why it matters: The disconnect adds to the wealth gap. The richest 10% of households -- who own 84% of stocks -- are getting richer, while millions of out-of-work Americans cross their fingers that pandemic unemployment benefits will be extended. ...

Driving the news: The equities markets closed Tuesday with their best quarterly performance since 1998 -- the type of upswing that usually doesn't happen when the economy is in as precarious shape as it is now.

Coronavirus testing czar: "We are not flattening the curve right now"
Axios | Marisa Fernandez | 07/03/20

Adm. Brett Giroir, the Health and Human Services official overseeing the nation's coronavirus testing efforts, told Congress Thursday that the U.S. is "not flattening the curve right now," and that the nationwide surge in new cases is not simply a result of more testing.

Why it matters: President Trump said at a press conference just hours earlier that the U.S. is getting the coronavirus "under control." He and other top members of his administration have sought to downplay the growing surge in infections as largely a product of increased testing.

The big picture:The number of coronavirus cases increased in nearly every state over the last week.

'National Humiliation': Chris Hayes Compares U.S. COVID-19 Crisis To Rest Of World | All In | MSNBC | 07/02/20 | 5:25

Texas couple dies from Covid-19 while holding hands | CNN | 07/02/20 | 6:29

The Dangerous Ones | Eleven Films | 07/02/20 | 2:19

Trump Repeats Hope COVID-19 Will 'Disappear' Amid Renewed Scramble To Contain Explosion | MSNBC | 07/02/20 | 3:41

President Trump Holds a Press Briefing | WH | 07/02/20 | Live

**Replacing the nursing home
Axios | Kim Hart | 07/02/20

Nursing homes have been the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, prompting more urgent discussions about alternative housing situations for elderly Americans.

Why it matters: Deaths in nursing homes and residential care facilities account for 45% of COVID-19 related deaths, per the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity -- but there are few other viable housing options for seniors. ... Read more

Win for Trump's niece in battle to publish memoir as court lifts injunction
TheGuardian | AP | 07/02/20

A New York appeals court cleared the way late Wednesday for a publisher to resume distribution to booksellers of a tell-all book by Donald Trump's niece, Mary Trump, despite the objections of the president's brother.

The New York state supreme court appellate division said it was lifting a temporary restraint that a judge put on Simon & Schuster a day earlier that sought to block distribution of Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man.

Although the book was scheduled to be published on 28 July, Simon & Schuster said thousands of copies of the 75,000-copy first run of the book had already been sent to bookstores and others. ... Read more

Too Much and Never Enough

The book's author, Mary L. Trump, a clinical psychologist, is the oldest child of Fred Trump Jr., and a granddaughter of Fred Trump Sr. According to her book's publisher, Simon & Schuster, she has taught graduate students in the subjects of trauma, psychopathology, and developmental psychology. She has written a dissertation on stalking victims, conducted research on schizophrenia, and written parts of the prominent medical manual Diagnosis: Schizophrenia. Mary's father died in 1981 at the age of 42 from a heart attack due to alcoholism.

Following the death of Fred Sr. in 1999, Mary and her brother, Fred III, contested Fred Sr.'s will in probate court, claiming that Fred Sr. was suffering from dementia, and the will was "procured by fraud and undue influence" by Fred Sr.'s other children, Donald, Maryanne, and Robert. A week later, Donald, Maryanne, and Robert terminated the medical coverage for Fred III's son, William, an 18-month old with epileptic spasms. In an interview with the New York Daily News, Mary said that her "aunt and uncles should be ashamed of themselves. I'm sure they are not." The suit was settled, with William's health insurance reinstated. Donald in 2016 explained his actions: "I was angry because they sued."

Arizona on Fire
TRNN | staff | 07/01/20

A state more known for its vast desert land has faced record-sized forest and brush fires the past few weeks.

Three of those fires now sit within the top ten biggest fires in Arizona state history, all burning simultaneously. Over 432,000 acres of wildfires have ignited statewide in June, bigger than the total burned acreage for all of 2019 combined. It also exceeds any year's total burned acreage, except for two of those years, since 2002.

The fires have resulted in thousands of evacuations, and though few people died, the toll the fires have taken on broader wildlife and plant life is still to be determined. June is generally the beginning of monsoon season in Arizona, but instead of rain, the state is experiencing drought and scorching temperatures of 105-110°F, literally hot enough to melt through shoes at the Grand Canyon. This, combined with windy conditions and bone dry brush and forestry, has fuelled the fires. ... Read more

Climate Change: How Do We Know?
nasa.gov | staff | current

The Earth's climate has changed throughout history. Just in the last 650,000 years there have been seven cycles of glacial advance and retreat, with the abrupt end of the last ice age about 11,700 years ago marking the beginning of the modern climate era -- and of human civilization. Most of these climate changes are attributed to very small variations in Earth's orbit that change the amount of solar energy our planet receives.

The current warming trend is of particular significance because most of it is extremely likely (greater than 95 percent probability) to be the result of human activity since the mid-20th century and proceeding at a rate that is unprecedented over decades to millennia.

... Ice cores drawn from Greenland, Antarctica, and tropical mountain glaciers show that the Earth's climate responds to changes in greenhouse gas levels. Ancient evidence can also be found in tree rings, ocean sediments, coral reefs, and layers of sedimentary rocks. This ancient, or paleoclimate, evidence reveals that current warming is occurring roughly ten times faster than the average rate of ice-age-recovery warming. ... Read more

Trump niece's book blocked by New York judge but lawyer files appeal
TheGuardian | Martin Pengelly | 06/30/20

Mary Trump filed an immediate appeal on Tuesday, after a judge in New York issued a preliminary injunction to stop Donald Trump's niece publishing a book about the family.

The president's brother, Robert Trump, is attempting to stop the publication of Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man, which is due for publication by Simon & Schuster on 28 July.

Simon & Schuster recently published The Room Where It Happened, former national security adviser John Bolton's tell-all memoir which a federal judge declined to block. The publisher also appealed the New York ruling against it and Mary Trump. ... Read more