Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

Meet The Press Broadcast (Full) - June 28th, 2020 | Meet The Press | NBC News | 06/28/20 | 47:53

The return of coronavirus lockdowns could threaten U.S. economic progress
Axios | Dion Rabouin | date

After seeing another record high number of hospitalizations Monday, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey ordered bars, movie theaters, gyms and water parks to shut down for at least 30 days in a move that followed similar orders from governors in California, Texas and Florida in recent days.

Why it matters: Large swaths of the U.S. economy again are having to shut down in an attempt to contain the coronavirus pandemic, threatening to reverse the economic progress of the past month and worsen the recession.

The big picture: It's not just a few states. The virus is spreading so rapidly in the U.S. that Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC, said Monday this was "really the beginning" of a surge in new cases. "I think there was a lot of wishful thinking around the country that, 'Hey, it's summer. Everything's going to be fine. We're over this.' And we are not even beginning to be over this," she said. ... Read more

Fmr. US Chief Data Scientist: COVID Isn't Going Away Anytime Soon | Amanpour and Company | older 06/25/20 | 17:13

Republicans have been skipping House Intelligence meetings for months
Politico | Martin Matishak | 06/29/20

GOP members of the House Intelligence Committee have skipped all but one of the panel's proceedings, public and private, since before Congress went into its coronavirus-lockdown in early March. And that impasse shows no signs of ending, even as the panel takes up issues like China, Covid-19 and the annual intelligence policy bill.

Democrats see it as yet another manifestation of the toxic partisan split dividing the panel during Donald Trump's presidency, in contrast to the still-bipartisan spirit that prevails on the Senate Intelligence Committee. ... Read more

Europeans' trust in US as world leader collapses during pandemic
TheGuardian | Katherine Butler | 06/29/20

Amid COVID-19 Surge, U.S. Stuck With 'Same Horrible Choice' As In Start Of Pandemic | All In | MSNBC | 06/26/20 | 7:37

Another coronavirus-driven economic dip may need new policy ideas
magazine | author | date

The economic progress made by the U.S. over the last month is slowly falling apart. Three of the four most populous states in the country are seeing notable increases in confirmed cases of COVID-19, business activity is contracting, consumer confidence is retreating, bankruptcy filings are rising, and the stock market is falling.

Why it matters: Even before governors in various states announced new bar and restaurant restrictions on Friday, "high frequency data on service sector activity suggests businesses and consumers may already be responding to the surge in new cases," economists at asset manager Nomura wrote in a note to clients.

The state of play: In March, as it became clear the coronavirus pandemic would severely impact U.S. businesses and consumers, the Fed stepped forward and led the way with extraordinary policy action -- cutting rates from 1.50%-- 1.75% to near zero in a matter of weeks and announcing an unlimited quantitative easing program.

Congress followed, passing the largest spending bill in U.S. history, and already is on pace to borrow nearly $4 trillion for fiscal year 2020 (which ends Sept. 30). ... ... Read more

Coronavirus IX: Evictions: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | John Oliver | 06/29/20 | 18:58

Donald Trump's re-election playbook: 25 ways he'll lie, cheat and abuse his power
TheGuardian | Robert Reich | 06/29/20

Wake-up Call: More States Hit Pause
HP | Jennifer Peltz and Carla K. Johnson | 06/26/20

Arizona joins Texas in holding off on reopening efforts amid the surge of COVID-19 cases.

The coronavirus crisis deepened in Arizona on Thursday, and the governor of Texas began to backtrack after making one of the most aggressive pushes in the nation to reopen, as the daily number of confirmed cases across the U.S. closed in on the peak reached during the dark days of late April.

While greatly expanded testing probably accounts for some of the increase, experts say other measures indicate the virus is making a comeback. Daily deaths, hospitalizations and the percentage of tests that are coming back positive also have been rising over the past few weeks in parts of the country, mostly in the South and West. ... Read more

House Democrats pass police reform bill
Axios | Orion Rummler | 06/26/20

The House passed Democrats' federal police reform bill by 236-181 on Thursday night.

Reality check: Democrats' proposed changes, which would be the biggest overhaul of federal policing laws in decades, face the threat of veto from the Trump administration. ... Read more

Ex-prosecutor: Roger Stone treated differently due to Trump relationship | CNN | 06/24/20 | 12:14

Trump's brother fails in bid to block niece's tell-all book
TheGuardian | author | date

Robert Trump's lawsuit dismissed by court in New York. Judge suggests family may try to sue in state supreme court

Queens county surrogate court judge Peter Kelly said on Thursday "several improprieties" in the filing by Robert Trump, the president's younger brother, meant the bid to stop the book was "fatally defective".

The suit concerned a non-disclosure agreement Mary Trump signed in 2001, relating to litigation over family patriarch Fred Trump's will. Kelly said that matter was closed, and thus the attempt to block the book could not be pursued in his court. ...

... Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man is due out on 28 July.

According to publisher Simon & Schuster -- also behind John Bolton's tell-all which a federal judge declined to block last week -- Mary Trump, a trained clinical psychologist, will "offer a "revelatory, authoritative portrait of Donald J Trump and the toxic family that made him". ... Read more

John Bolton says Trump turned 'blind eye' to Covid-19 | CNN | 06/24/20 | 10:30

Another 1.5 million Americans filed for unemployment last week
Axios | Courtenay Brown | 06/25/20

Another 1.5 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, the Labor Department announced Thursday. Why it matters: The number of newly filed jobless claims has steadily dropped since peaking in March, but the pandemic is still forcing more than a million workers to the ranks of unemployment each week -- over twice the all-time record seen before the coronavirus hit.

... What they're saying: "The stickiness that we see in claims is a reason to be concerned," Michelle Meyer, an economist at Bank of America, told Bloomberg. ... Read more

Ezra Klein: Trump Does Not Get That 'There Is Simply No Better Politics Than Governing Well' | MSNBC | 06/25/20 | 4:21

Democrat tells Sergeant at Arms to forcibly REMOVE unhinged Republican from hearing | Brian Tyler Cohen | 06/24/20 | 8:07

Anderson Cooper: Trump is pretending Covid-19 is gone | Anderson Cooper | CNN | 06/24/20 | 11:13

Thanks To COVID-19, 'Americans Are Too Dangerous To Be Let Out Of Our Own Country' | All In | MSNBC | 06/23/20 | 3:38

USA Plunges To 10th Place In World Competitiveness Rankings
ZeroHedge | Staff | 06/24/20

A new report shows the US has stumbled into the new decade, losing a competitive economic edge that it had firmly retained in the post--World War II economic expansion.

For the second consecutive year, the US has been dethroned as the world's most competitive economy, thanks partially to President Trump's trade war. The US now ranks 10th (3rd in 2019), according to the Institute for Management Development's (IMD) new report on the ranking of most competitive world economies.

The annual rankings, now in their 32nd year, show Singapore, Denmark, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong as the top five most competitive economies. ... Read more

Barr's Botched Effort To Rig SDNY For Trump Prompts Investigation | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC | 06/23/20 | 4:52

Barr's Botched Effort To Rig SDNY For Trump Prompts Investigation | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC | 06/23/20 | 4:52

The pandemic's lost years
Axios | Fadel Allassan | 06/24/20

Even while still living in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, we're starting to see the long-term effects of lost schooling, curtailed travel and shuttered businesses.

Why it matters: The U.S. will see some $7.9 trillion in lost economic growth through this decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The World Bank, meanwhile, predicts global gross domestic product will shrink by 5.2% in 2020 alone -- nearly three times as much as the 2009 recession. ... Read more

Coronavirus: Trump doubles down on use of "Kung Flu" to describe COVID-19 | | 06/23/20 | 0:58

Coronavirus cases rising rapidly in these 8 states | CNN | 06/23/20 | 7:28

Trump holds MAGA rally in Tulsa, OK | FoxNews | 06/20/20 | 1:41:29

The coronavirus recovery may be W-shaped
Axios | Dion Rabouin | 06/223/20

U.S. economic data has shown improvement in recent reports, starting with May's nonfarm payrolls report and including new home sales, various Fed manufacturing indexes and retail sales, all showing better-than-expected rebounds.

Why it matters: The momentum could reverse quickly if the coronavirus pandemic picks back up and policymakers drag their feet on renewing stimulus measures, experts say. ... Read more

Live: Fauci, CDC chief testify on coronavirus response | NBC News | 06/23/20 | Live

Trump advisors reveal the ACTUAL reason for holding Trump’s failed Tulsa rally | No Lie Podcast | 06/23/20 | 17:26

Opioids, Inc. (full film) | PBS Frontline | 06/18/20 | 53:17

Facts don't support what Trump, Pence say about coronavirus | CNN | 06/21/20 | 8:27

Brad Parscale faces Trump 'fury' after Tulsa comeback rally flops
TheGuardian | Tom Lutz | 06/22/20

Donald Trump's campaign manager, Brad Parscale, was under pressure on Sunday after claiming hundreds of thousands of people had applied for tickets to the president's return to the campaign trail in Tulsa, only for the rally to attract a sparse crowd.

At the BOK Center in the Oklahoma city on Saturday night, as the president took the stage to give his first campaign speech since the Covid-19 pandemic put large parts of America under lockdown, vast banks of empty seats could be seen. The Tulsa fire department said 6,200 people attended. The Trump campaign claimed 12,000. The arena holds 19,000. ... Read more

Coronavirus VIII: Prisons & Jails: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | John Oliver | 06/22/20 | 18:32

Meet The Press Broadcast (Full) - June 21st, 2020 | Meet The Press | NBC News | 06/21/20 | 47:38

"He's the Chosen One to Run America": Inside the Cult of Trump, His Rallies are Church and He is the Gospel
Vanity Fair | Jeff Sharlet |06/18/20

Trump's rallies -- a bizarre mishmash of numerology, tweetology, and white supremacy -- are the rituals by which he stamps his name on the American dream. As he prepares to resume them for the first time in months, his followers are ready to receive.

usif Jones, standing in front of a long row of porta-potties, slides his plastic Trump mask over his face. "I'm him!" he exclaims. He puffs up his chest in his homemade Trump shirt. It's a short-sleeved American flag pullover, onto which he has ironed black felt letters across vertical red and white stripes: GOT TRUMP? Then he flashes the O.K. sign, a silver ring on his pinky. "I'm him, dude!"

For Trump supporters like Jones, the O.K. sign--thumb meeting index finger, three fingers splayed--is a kind of secret handshake. It began as a joke--a "hoax" meant to trick liberals into believing that the raised fingers actually represent the letters WP: white power. The joke worked so well that it became real. Now, in certain circles, O.K. does mean white power--unless you say it doesn't. Jones, a big, vein-popping, occasionally church-going white man burdened with what he calls an "Islamic" name by his hippie mother, revels in this kind of coded message, a sense of possessing knowledge shared only by a select few. It's Möbius strip politics, Trumpism's defining oxymoron: a populist elite, a mass movement of "free thinkers" all thinking the same thing. They love Trump because he makes them feel like insiders even as they imagine him their outsider champion. That's what's drawn Jones here, to the CenturyLink Center in Bossier City, Louisiana, two weeks before Thanksgiving. Like many of the president's 14,000 followers waiting for the rally to begin, Jones believes that Trump is on a mission from God to expose (and destroy) the hidden demons of the deep state. ... Read more

'Magically Protected': Why Hardcore Trump Supporters Won't Wear Masks At Rally | All In | MSNBC | 06/19/20 | 7:40

Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Monday, June 22 [15:03]

Trump Fires Top U.S. Prosecutor as William Barr Moves to Expand "Imperial Presidency" | DN | 06/22/20 | 12:38

Trump Using DOJ to Stop A REALLY Embarrassing Book from Coming Out | TYT | 06/21/20 | 11:58

These Trump Ads Were So INSANE Even Facebook Rejected Them | TYT | 06/21/20 | 5:49

The Market's Five Stages Of Grief
ZeroHedge | Bill Blain | 06/22/20

What is really happening across the global economy? The analysts and economists are still arguing about sharp V-shapes, W-Ws or Nike ticks. We really don't know -- it's a very complex call. The outlook is a delicate balance between companies that have simply seen sales delayed vs those that have lost income permanently, firms planning for growth vs those looking to stay solvent by slashing costs and jobs, rising debt levels, unemployment surges, coronavirus threat indicators and the likelihood of a successful vaccine or therapies.

When investment banks say look at the fundamentals and understand the effects on individual discrete investments -- I could not agree more. This is a time to delve into the detail. The trend is distorted, and very much not your friend.

Last week I mentioned how the data driving the market is changing -- it's no longer the monthly jobs, GDP, production or factory orders that matter, but the immediate information highlighting how consumers and business are responding to the Coronavirus/economy axis as it happens. But, in our effort to understand the chaotic market volatility, are we now trying to find significance in the number of times a butterfly's wing beats...? ... Read more

Biological Bomb Ready To Blow: Trump Defies Medical Experts Pushing MAGA Rally As Virus Cases Spike | TheBeat | MSNBC | 06/18/20 | 7:54

John King breaks down Florida's latest coronavirus case spike | CNN | 06/18/20 | 8:29

Arizona Coronavirus Rate Skyrockets, Has Fastest Growth Rate In U.S. | NBC News NOW | 06/18/20 | 10:20

Jim Crow laws
Wikipedia | staff | current

Jim Crow laws were state and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States.[1] All were enacted in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by white Democratic-dominated state legislatures to disenfranchise and remove political and economic gains made by blacks during the Reconstruction period.[2] The Jim Crow laws were enforced until 1965.[3] In practice, Jim Crow laws mandated racial segregation in all public facilities in the states of the former Confederate States of America and other states, starting in the 1870s and 1880s. Jim Crow laws were upheld in 1896 in the case of Plessy vs. Ferguson, in which the U.S. Supreme Court laid out its "separate but equal" legal doctrine for facilities for African Americans. Moreover, public education had essentially been segregated since its establishment in most of the South after the Civil War (1861–65). ... Read more

Here's How Trump Could Beat the Rap On the Pandemic
Politico | John Harris | 06/18/20

Write a column, a newsroom colleague challenged me, making the case on behalf of President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic. The colleague did not propose the assignment as a matter of sincere advocacy. It was more like an intellectual and journalistic taunt -- a way of demonstrating the flexibility of mind to see the world the way a large section of Trump-supporting Americans see it. ...

... We will not know for five months whether Trump will survive the detailed indictments delivered by a wide and well-credentialed variety of public health experts on his management of the pandemic, which as of Wednesday has killed about 120,000 Americans. But the replies to my query, if hardly a scientific sample, do offer a much clearer sense of how he might thwart his critics. ... Read more

Pence tries to declare coronavirus over | CNN | 06/17/20 | 8:37

NY Times Reporter Who Obtained John Bolton's Book Ahead Of Release Discusses What's Inside | MSNBC | 06/17/20 | 7:31

Bolton Blames Democrats For Failed Impeachment Despite Refusing To Testify | All In | MSNBC | 06/17/20 | 8:00

Bolton claims Trump asked China to help him win re-election | CNN | 06/17/20 | 10:42

Kayleigh McEnany blasts John Bolton's 'debunked' book | FoxNews | 06/18/20 | 7:17

Climate Crisis: Trump's Regulatory Attack, DNC On Climate, California Fires, And Brazil COVID Chaos
TRNN | author | date

Welcome back to TRNN's Climate Crisis News Roundup. In recent weeks, this column has focused heavily on the intersection between COVID-19 and the climate crisis, and that will continue as the pandemic sweeps the world. Add to that the recent police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and eruption of protests across the country and it's an understatement to say that we live in some crazy, scary, and historic times.

Trump's New NEPA Attack
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the bedrock statute referred to by many as the "Magna Carta of environmental law," is under attack again by President Donald Trump. Trump has proposed a new Executive Order using the impetus of his COVID-19 national emergency order to suspend the law for an indefinite period of time. Trump's order makes it clear that to him, infrastructure investments are a priority in spite of the pandemic. ... Read more

Trump and Pence are lying. The Covid data proves it | Anderson Cooper | CNN | 06/16/20 | 10:33

The massive power of the George Floyd protests
Axios| Neal Rothschild | 06/17/20

No other social change movement in the Trump era has come close to the intensity of social media attention forged in the wake of the George Floyd killing, according to data provided exclusively by NewsWhip.

Why it matters: The power of this movement can be seen in the concrete changes made as local, state and federal government grapple with how policing across the country can be reformed.

By the numbers: In the last month -- counting the week even before the movement began with Floyd's killing -- there were 1.04 billion social media interactions (likes, comments, shares) on stories related to police conduct, police reform, racial inequality, Black Lives Matter and the cases of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. ... Read more

Reverend reveals what evangelicals say privately about Trump | CNN | 06/16/20 | 10:25

**Trump is trying to block publication of John Bolton's book. What's he scared of?
TheGuardian | Lloyd Green | 06/17/20

The memoir reportedly depicts Trump as caring more about re-election than US national security. No wonder he wants to quash it

On Tuesday, the Trump administration asked a federal judge to block publication of John Bolton's The Room Where It Happened, the former national security adviser's twice-delayed kiss-and-tell memoir of life in the Trump White House. Last week, Simon & Schuster, Bolton's publisher, announced: "This is the book Donald Trump doesn't want you to read."

They got that one right. The book depicts "a president for whom getting re-elected was the only thing that mattered, even if it meant endangering or weakening the nation". Let that sink in. ... Read more

The Trump campaign is creating an alternate reality online about coronavirus | WP | 05/27/20 | 8:47

'Appalling' And 'Lawless': AG Barr Hammered For Protecting Trump | The Beat With Ari Melber | MSNBC | 06/16/20 | 7:18

The gap between Trump's world and reality is widening. It's disturbing to watch
TheGuardian | Francine Prose | 06/15/20

In Greek mythology, Cerberus -- angry and snarling -- stood at the gates to hell. Trump and his inner circle are our Cerberus

Given how busy most Americans are these days -- home-schooling their kids, dealing with unemployment, waiting on line at food banks, protesting systemic racism, worrying about our economy and our educational system -- few of us have the time, the energy or inclination to wonder what it's like to be Donald Trump, to imagine how his mind works, what he really thinks and believes. But over the past few weeks, the increasingly strange, intentionally provocative, inappropriate and frankly delusional tweets and pronouncements issuing from the Oval Office have once again caused us to reflect on the president's inner life. We've grown accustomed to his shortcomings, the regular failures of decency, common sense and good taste. Yet the gap between what the president is saying -- and the reality we observe around us -- appears to be widening.

Does Trump truly believe that Martin Gugino, the 75-year-old protester shoved to the ground by Buffalo police officers, was an antifa insurrectionist plotting to block the communications equipment of the officers who shoved him and left him bleeding from the ear? Does the courtly, somewhat hesitant Gugino really look to anyone like a dangerous thug? ... Read more

In Major Escalation, North Korea Blows Up South Korean Liaison Office
ZeroHedge| staff | 06/16/20

When Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong - rumored to be even more brutal and ruthless a leader than her brother - started making threats against the South and the US, while declaring that President Trump would "never again" be allowed to use the country to score political points, we suspected something was afoot.

Less than two weeks after abruptly cutting off all communication with the South (including an emergency cross-border hotline), North Korea has taken the extreme and unprecedented step of blowing up a liaison office set up along the heavily militarized border between the two countries (which are still technically at war).

North Korea started lashing out at its southern neighbor a few weeks ago, demanding that the Blue House stop South Korean activists sending propaganda pamphlets over the border to try and encourage defectors. The liaison office - described as a gleaming blue building amid a drab industrial backdrop - was recently renovated by the South. Officials became suspicious about an impending attack yesterday, and had been monitoring the liaison office.

KCNA said the office was blown up to force "human scum and those, who have sheltered the scum, to pay dearly for their crimes". North Korea refers to defectors as "human scum." ... Read more

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Trump campaign says all Tulsa rally attendants will be provided with masks
Axios | Marisa Fernandez | 06/15/20

President Trump's campaign will require temperature checks and will distribute face masks and hand sanitizer to each person attending his rally in Tulsa on Saturday, a spokesperson said Monday.

Why it matters: The decision to move ahead with the rally as the number of coronavirus infections continues to be on the rise in many states has prompted scrutiny from public health experts and local officials in Tulsa. It will be the first rally by any presidential candidate since the pandemic was declared in March.

Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel said Monday that masks would be optional, telling Fox News: "The American people can make decisions for themselves, we're all pretty informed about Covid at this point."

Trump tweeted earlier Monday: "The Far Left Fake News Media, which had no Covid problem with the Rioters & Looters destroying Democrat run cities, is trying to Covid Shame us on our big Rallies. Won't work!" ... Read more

Facial Recognition: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | 06/15/20 | 21:10

Trump Hosts Discussion on Protecting Senior Citizens | NBC News | 06/15/20 | Live

Seattle is Dying | older 03/19/19 | 1:00:35

Seattle mayor fires back after Trump threatens to intervene | CNN | older 06/11/20 | 10:26

This Is Why We Are Facing A 6 Week Countdown To Immense Economic Despair...
Michael Snyder via TheMostImportantNews.com | 06/15/20

Many of the emergency economic measures that were put into place to support the American people financially throughout this pandemic are about to disappear, and that means that big trouble is on the horizon. Right now, we are in the midst of the deepest economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Economic activity has fallen dramatically, more than 100,000 businesses have permanently closed, and more than 44 million Americans have lost a job so far in 2020. But up to this point most Americans are not feeling too much economic pain thanks to unprecedented intervention by the federal government. Unfortunately, that short-term boost of artificial relief is about to wear off, and that is going to cause some major problems as we approach the end of this calendar year.

The US economy right now is like a jumbo jet that's in a steady glide after both its engines flamed out. In about six weeks, it will likely crash into the side of a mountain. ...

The truth is that the economy has already crashed, but consumers have been shielded from the effects of that crash by trillions of dollars in emergency government spending and other unprecedented measures. ... Read more

Treasury leans against naming small businesses that received PPP loans
Axios | Dan Primack | 06/12/20

The U.S. Treasury Department is leaning against releasing the names of small businesses that received Paycheck Protection Program loans, as first reported by Politico and confirmed by Axios.

Why it matters: Taxpayers bailed out millions of small businesses with hundreds of billions of dollars. But they may never know where the money went -- a lack of transparency that could make it harder to know how well the program worked, or if certain applications were fraudulent.

Context: PPP was structured under the SBA's Section 7(a) loan program. Historically, business recipients of Section 7(a) loans have had their names and loan amounts publicly disclosed on an annual basis.

What we're hearing: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is concerned that disclosing business names and loan amounts could put recipients at a competitive disadvantage, because PPP loans were calculated by payroll. ... Read more

Economic Shockwave Hits As Coronavirus Warnings Come To Pass | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC | 06/12/20 | 7:46

Greatest Economy in the History of the World | Reframe | The Recount | current | 2:17

Economic Shockwave Hits As Coronavirus Warnings Come To Pass | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC | 06/12/20 | 7:46

Trillions of Dollars Have Vanished and No One Is Talking About It | Jack Chapple | 03/19/20 | 12:35

Consumer price index falls for third straight month for first time in its history
Axios | Dion Rabouin | 06/11/20

The U.S. consumer price index fell for the third straight month in May with a gauge of the index that removes volatile food and energy prices also negative for a third month in a row.

Why it matters: The reports fan worries that the coronavirus pandemic could spark deflation, further eroding U.S. growth. ... Read more

A video timeline of the crackdown on protesters before Trump's photo op | WP | 06/08/20 | 12:12

CDC Expects 200k COVID-19 Deaths By October As Dreaded 'Second Wave' Arrives: Live Updates
ZeroHedge | staff | 06/11/20

Gold Jumps, Stocks Dump As Powell Punctures Payrolls-Hype Bubble
ZeroHedge | staff | 06/11/20

Small Cap stocks are now down over 5% from before Friday's payrolls surprise and only Nasdaq is holding on to gains for now...

Somebody do something!! ... Read more

Mnuchin Scrambles To Halt Stock Rout, Says Will "Pump" Another $1 Trillion Into Economy This Month
ZeroHedge | staff | 06/11/20

With stocks tumbling, it was only a matter of time before Trump trotter out the "plunge protectors", and sure enough just minutes after cash reopen, Steve Mnuchin dialed into CNBC, where he said that "we can't shut down the economy again" amid growing fears of a second virus wave, and just to get the Robin hood traders extra pumped, the Treasury Secretary said that another $1 trillion will be pumped into the market economy.

McEnany: Trump's baseless Buffalo protester tweet raised "questions that need to be asked"
Axios | Rashaan Ayesh | date

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told "Fox & Friends" on Wednesday that President Trump's baseless tweet suggesting that an elderly protester injured by police in Buffalo, N.Y., "could be an ANTIFA provocateur" was just raising "questions that need to be asked."

Why it matters: McEnany's willingness to defend the president regarding the tweet hasn't been shared by others in the Republican Party -- as most GOP senators refused to acknowledge it and Trump allies inside and outside the White House were left stunned. ... Read more

Fauci: coronavirus pandemic that 'took over the planet' is far from over
TheGuardian | Dominic Rushe | 06/09/20

US's top infectious disease expert calls virus his 'worst nightmare' as 7 million people have been infected and 400,000 have died

The US's top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci warned on Tuesday that the coronavirus pandemic was far from over, calling Covid-19 his "worst nightmare".

"In a period of four months, it has devastated the whole world," Fauci said, speaking to executives at a conference of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization. "And it isn't over yet."

About 7 million people have been infected with the coronavirus and 400,000 people are known to have died. Many countries, including the US where more than 110,000 have died, are now relaxing quarantine rules despite rising rates of infection in some areas. ... Read more

More businesses were lost in the last 3 months than all of the Great Recession
Axios | Dion Rabouin | 06/09/20

The U.S. saw its largest ever decline in the number of business owners between February and April, as at least 3.3 million shut their doors, a new paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research using the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey found.

What it means: The record wave of closures was widespread but disproportionately hit minority- and immigrant-owned firms, and "may portend longer-term ramifications for job losses and economic inequality," the study found.

The big picture: "No other one-, two- or even 12-month window of time has ever shown such a large change in business activity," author Robert W. Fairlie writes. Read more

Nearly Half US States Report Record Rise In COVID-19 Cases As Global Total Tops 7 Million: Live Updates
ZeroHedge | author | date

With futures markets pointing toward a lower open in the US, the Washington Post warns that 14 states and Puerto Rico have seen their 7-day average for the number of new cases being reported climb to their highest levels since the outbreak began. Yesterday, we noted the WSJ story highlighting the finding that rural areas with large numbers of people living in the same houses saw outbreaks that were in many cases more severe than more densely populated areas, suggesting transmission between members of the same household remains the primary means of spread, which, if anything, suggests that markets and the general public is underestimating the potential of these outbreaks in more rural states. ...

... Since the start of June, 14 states and Puerto Rico have recorded their highest-ever seven-day average of new coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, according to data tracked by The Washington Post: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, Mississippi, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

Kayleigh McEnany holds White House press conference | 06/08/20 | FoxNews | 06/08/20 | 35:21

Press Sec SINKS herself when asked if Trump has any regrets about gassing peaceful protestors | Brian Tyler Cohen | 06/08/20 | 6:11

Trump's troubles grow, spread
Axios | Jonathan Swan, Mike Allen | 06/04/20

President Trump is confronting the most dire political environment of his presidency, with his support dropping fast from Texas to Wisconsin, even among his base of religious and older voters.

Why it matters: Top Republicans tell Axios that Trump's handling of the nation's civil unrest, including his hasty photo op at St. John's Church after the violent clearing of Lafayette Park, make them much more worried about his chance of re-election than they were one week ago.

His current defense secretary, Mark Esper, caught the White House off-guard by breaking with Trump at a press briefing where he said he doesn't currently support invoking the Insurrection Act, the 1807 law that permits the president to use active-duty troops on U.S. soil. Trump was especially infuriated that Esper read his remarks, proving he didn't misspeak. Trump thought Esper was trying to curry favor with the media.

His former defense secretary, retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, torched him as a bad, divisive leader tearing America apart. "I have watched this week's unfolding events, angry and appalled," Mattis wrote in a statement to The Atlantic. "We must reject and hold accountable those in office who would make a mockery of our Constitution."... ... Read more

Ex-Defense Secretary Mattis condemns Trump as threat to constitution | Anderson Cooper | CNN | 06/03/20 | 10:25

Obama Makes First On-Camera Remarks About George Floyd Death | MSNBC | 06/03/20 | 15:04

WATCH: CDC director testifies in front of House on coronavirus response | WP | 06/04/20 | Live

POLITICO Playbook: How the president sees himself vs. how everyone else sees him
Politico | Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer | 06/04/20

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP views himself as a hero for the black community on par with only the likes of ABRAHAM LINCOLN. He says the military loves him. He has suggested that JOE BIDEN is out of touch with reality, and that he will win reelection in less than five months quite easily.

THE REST OF THE WORLD sees the situation quite a bit differently:

-- JIM MATTIS became the highest-profile former TRUMP ADMINISTRATION official to say the president is unfit for the office. He spoke to THE ATLANTIC'S editor in chief JEFF GOLDBERG for a stunning piece about his feelings about his former boss.

-- MARK ESPER, the current defense secretary, has split with TRUMP over using troops on American streets. TRUMP has begun asking people if "Esper could still be effective in his position," per Bloomberg's JENNIFER JACOBS. MARK MILLEY -- the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- sent a letter to military brass reminding them that they took "an oath to support and defend the Constitution and the values embedded within it." Milley's letter

-- FOR A SIXTH STRAIGHT NIGHT, protests filled the streets outside the White House Wednesday night. Though as the Washington Post notes, the crowds dispersed early.

-- THE PRESIDENT is slipping in the polls in states he won "by wide margins four years ago," per ALEX BURNS and MAGGIE HABERMAN in an NYT story that posted last night. "In private polling conducted by Mr. Trump's campaign, the president is now well behind Mr. Biden, according to people briefed on the most recent round of results. Several public surveys this week have found Mr. Trump trailing Mr. Biden, the former vice president, by double-digit margins, including a Monmouth University poll published on Wednesday that showed Mr. Biden ahead by 11 percentage points."

-- TRUMP IS LOSING to BIDEN in Arizona, 46-42, according to a new FOX NEWS poll. Sen. MARTHA MCSALLY (R-Ariz.) is getting trounced by MARK KELLY, 50-37. The poll ... Read more

RNC officially plans to move 2020 convention to new city
Axios | Jonathan Swan, Alayna Treene | 06/03/20

The Republican National Committee is scrambling for a new convention host city after President Trump said Tuesday that North Carolina's coronavirus restrictions will make Charlotte unworkable for the crowds he's counting on.

Driving the news: The organization still hopes to conduct the convention's "official business" in Charlotte, an RNC spokesperson said. But the part that most Americans think about the convention -- the spectacle of the speakers and the president accepting the Republican nomination itself -- will be held in a different state with more relaxed COVID-19 laws. ... Read more

Trump campaign gets its cue: Go all-in on 'law and order'
Politico | Anita Kumar | 06/03/20

Initially, the campaign focused on criticizing the media for not focusing on Trump's calls for justice. Now, it's switched to promoting Trump's calls for "law and order."

Days after massive protests broke out over George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police, the campaign had finally received its directive. Staffers are now embracing and promoting Trump's threats to send the military into cities to help quell looting and vandalism in the hopes it will help the president win over seniors and suburban women, even if it comes at the expense of black voters.

It was an uncharacteristically sluggish start for a campaign that is used to swiftly pushing out talking points, quickly creating items to sell on its online store and almost instantly buying Facebook ads as Trump careens from crisis to crisis: the Russia probe, impeachment, the brink of a military confrontation with Iran -- the list goes on and on. ... Read more

Trump's 'ANTIFA' Threat Is Total Bullshit -- And Totally Dangerous
DailyBeast | Kelly Weill | older 05/31/20

It's not a real organization, "ANTIFA." And even if it were, there is no such thing as a domestic federal terror designation. But President Donald Trump's tweet that the U.S. "will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization" is a very real threat.

Trump's Sunday offering came as federal and local authorities across the country scrambled to contain increasingly violent protests in the wake of George Floyd's death at the hands of police in Minneapolis. Trump, who over several years has launched numerous tirades against anti-fascists, blamed the movement--really, a set of organizing tactics--for vandalism at the protests. ... Read more

'Antifa Supersoldiers' Are Coming to Kill White People Within Days | Newsweek | 11/01/17 | article

Antifa - Anti Fascism

Trump goes full law-and-order
Axios | onathan Swan | 06/02/20

President Trump's final decision to speak in the Rose Garden last evening as protests raged outside the gate was made only hours before, reflecting chaos on both sides of the fence.

Why it matters: Trump's ultimate remarks fell where his instincts always were: blunt, brutal law and order, with extreme demonstrations of militarized "strength" and blustery threats. ... Read more

Audio leaked of Trump getting humiliated by a governor on a call with ALL 50 GOVERNORS | Brian Tyler Cohen | 06/01/20 | 7:02

Trump walks to St. John's parish amid rioting near by | FoxNews | 06/01/20 | 3:27

Kayleigh McEnany holds White House press briefing | FoxNews | 06/01/20 | 22:24

Voting by Mail: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | John Oliver | 05/31/20 | 19:11

This Crisis Is Creating Something Shady In the Stock Market | Jack Chapple | 05/22/20 | 9:05

Your guide to comparing climate change and coronavirus
Axios | Amy Harder | 06/01/20

Climate change and the coronavirus have a lot more in common than the letter C, but their differences explain society's divergent responses to each.

Why it matters: The Internet is full of comparisons, some from biased perspectives. I'm going to try to cut through the noise to help discerning readers looking for objective information.

Here are some of the more common comparisons made on climate change and the coronavirus over the last few months and corresponding reality checks. ... Read more

Animal Rights Activists Uncover the Locations of Thousands of Factory Farms
TheIntercept | Alleen Brown | 05/31/20

ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS published an interactive map on Sunday revealing the locations of more than 27,500 farms and animal agriculture facilities, including 5,812 identified using satellite imagery, many of which do not appear in public records. Users will be able to pin new locations to the map, known as Project Counterglow, and attach photos and videos documenting animal cruelty and health violations. The animal agriculture industry has spent decades fighting to avoid the disclosure of information about facilities where animals are raised for food.

The map is meant to offer a rare bird's-eye view of the scale of the industry, while also providing a research tool for activist investigators. Kecia Doolittle, the leader of the team that created the map, is an animal rights activist who has participated in a number of farm investigations herself. Footage uncovered by Doolittle and others over the years has revealed conditions such as overcrowding; wounded, sick, and dead animals left in pens with the living; painful procedures like tail removal and castration without anesthesia; and physical abuse by farmers, at times resulting in boycotts or criminal charges.

Most recently, as The Intercept reported on Friday, activists with the organization Direct Action Everywhere captured footage of a harrowing mass kill method called ventilation shutdown. The closure of meatpacking plants due to Covid-19 outbreaks has left farmers with nowhere to take mature livestock; in response, they have exterminated millions of animals. One particularly torturous tactic involves corralling pigs into a barn, closing the doors and windows, and shutting down the ventilation system. "This causes the buildup of excessive temperature and moisture from body heat and respiration of the animals and results in death from hyperthermia," according to guidelines from the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, which endorses ventilation shutdown in "constrained circumstances." ... Read more