Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

McCarthy's magic number on the debt ceiling deal
Axios | Hans Nichols | 05/31/23

House leaders are confident that the chamber today will approve the debt ceiling deal between President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) - and move toward avoiding a disastrous government default.

Why it matters: Not all victory laps are the same. The number of votes the Fiscal Responsibility Act gets from each party could signal who made the better deal.

"I want Republican votes," Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), a key member of McCarthy's negotiating team, told reporters late Tuesday. "That would be the cleanest way for me to show it was a good bill for Republicans."

But a big Democratic vote for the bill - say, well over a majority of the 213 Democrats in the 435-member House - could bolster the notion held by some lawmakers in each party: that Biden outfoxed GOP negotiators. ... Read more

AI's boom market christens first trillion-dollar darling
Axios | Ina Fried | 05/31/23

Artificial intelligence's rise is already beginning to reshape tech's business landscape, with the emergence over the past week of the first big winner: chipmaker Nvidia.

Driving the news: Nvidia opened trading Tuesday with a market capitalization that topped $1 trillion before closing just shy of that level. That placed it in an elite club that also includes Apple, Google/Alphabet, Amazon and Microsoft.

Of note: The jump followed Nvidia's announcement this weekend of several new processors and systems optimized for AI-related tasks.

CEO Jensen Huang said at an event in Taiwan that the firm's GH-200 Grace Hopper "Superchip" - a module that's tuned for generative AI uses - is now in full production. ... Read more

How Reagan Ruined Everything | Leeja Miller | 05/24/23 | 24:44

Freedom Caucus promises "reckoning" over McCarthy debt deal
Axios | Zachary Basu | 05/31/23

Right-wing furor over the debt ceiling deal reached a boiling point Tuesday, producing the first public threats to Kevin McCarthy's speakership since he secured the gavel in January's tortured, 15-ballot election.

Why it matters: The House GOP's remarkable unity has been the story of this Congress so far. McCarthy has successfully navigated one of the narrowest majorities in U.S. history, tamping down rebellions and defying his doubters at virtually every turn - until now. ... Read more

Don't hold your breath for global AI rules
Axios | Ryan Heath | 05/30/23

It will likely take an AI-related catastrophe before any international rulebook or organization begins regulating AI technologies.

Why it matters: AI innovators and researchers worry about both the doomsday scenario of a runaway super-AI and the less science-fictional but more likely harms that could follow from hasty deployment of the technology, in the form of cyberattacks, scams, disinformation, surveillance, and bias.

Driving the news: Tech policy makers meet in Sweden Tuesday, at the edge of the Arctic Circle, for the twice-yearly Transatlantic Trade and Technology Council. ... Read more

What is AI and why are experts terrified about its future? | 60 Minutes | 05/28/23 | 20:57

Gold Star Parents; Brain Injuries In Vets; Treating PTSD | 60 Minutes | 03/28/23 | 52:23

LEAKED REPORT: "CIA DOES NOT KNOW" IF ISRAEL PLANS TO BOMB IRAN
TheIntercept | Ken Klippenstein | 052423

A leaked intelligence report from February says "Netanyahu probably calculates Israel will need to strike Iran to deter its nuclear program."

WHETHER ISRAEL'S ESCALATING threats of war with Iran over its nuclear program are saber-rattling or something more serious is a mystery even to the CIA, according to a portion of a top-secret intelligence report leaked on the platform Discord earlier this year. The uncertainty about the intentions of one of the U.S.'s closest allies calls into question the basis of the "ironclad" support for Israel publicly espoused by the Biden administration.

The report - which was first covered by the Israeli channel i24 News and subsequently posted by DDoSecrets, a group that publishes leaked documents - reveals an undisclosed military exercise conducted by Israel. Read more

Immigrant workforce reaches a new high
Axios | Emily Peck | 05/26/23

The share of foreign-born workers in the U.S. labor force reached a record high last year, per new data from the Labor Department.

Why it matters: With more Americans aging out of the workforce than entering into it - and at a time of labor shortages - immigrants are playing an increasingly crucial role in the labor market.

State of play: The share of foreign-born people in the workforce has been steadily rising for decades, but dipped during the pandemic - making last year's uptick look a bit more striking than it is, said Abraham Mosisa, a senior economist at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Still, this is a trend that isn't going anywhere. The U.S. labor force participation rate of native born men has been consistently decreasing, he pointed out. And the rate for women has stagnated. ... Read more

55 Things You Need to Know About Ron DeSantis
Politico | Michael Kruse | 2023-2024

He's the person most likely to be the president in January of 2025 who's not named Joe Biden or Donald Trump.

A onetime baseball star, a double Ivy League alum and a former three-term member of Congress, Ron DeSantis vaulted to the national political fore on account of Covid, turning Florida into the country's anti-lockdown capital and positioning himself as the de facto governor of the American right.

Emboldened ever since by the attention and acclaim, as confident and capable as he is ornery and odd, he has methodically sought to institute an aggressive, unapologetic agenda his many supporters see as a template to take to the White House and his many critics view as autocratic overreach. "Florida," he often boasts, "is where 'woke' goes to die." ... Read more

BLOOD ON HIS HANDS
TheIntercept | Nick Turse | 05/23/23

Survivors of Kissinger's Secret War in Cambodia Reveal Unreported Mass Killings

The U.S. carpet bombing of Cambodia between 1969 and 1973 has been well documented, but its architect, former national security adviser and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who will turn 100 on Saturday, bears responsibility for more violence than has been previously reported. An investigation by The Intercept provides evidence of previously unreported attacks that killed or wounded hundreds of Cambodian civilians during Kissinger's tenure in the White House. When questioned about his culpability for these deaths, Kissinger responded with sarcasm and refused to provide answers.

An exclusive archive of formerly classified U.S. military documents - assembled from the files of a secret Pentagon task force that investigated war crimes during the 1970s, inspector generals' inquiries buried amid thousands of pages of unrelated documents, and other materials discovered during hundreds of hours of research at the U.S. National Archives ... Read more

Mormon whistleblower: Church's investment firm masquerades as charity | 60 Minutes | 05/15/23 | 13:11

How the Corporate Takeover of American Politics Began (Lewis Powell) | Robert Reich | 2023 | 4:50

NOTORIOUS 1973 ATTACK KILLED MANY MORE THAN PREVIOUSLY KNOWN
TheIntercept | Nick Turse | 05/23/23

NY SARIM HAD lived through it all. Violence. Loss. Privation. Genocide.

Her first husband was killed after Pol Pot's murderous Khmer Rouge plunged Cambodia into a nightmare campaign of overwork, hunger, and murder that killed around 2 million people from 1975 to 1979. Four other family members died too - some of starvation, others by execution.

"No one ever even had time to laugh. Life was so sad and hopeless," she told The Intercept. It was enough suffering for a lifetime, but it couldn't erase the memory of the night in August 1973 when her town became a charnel house.

Ny was sleeping at home when the bombs started dropping on Neak Luong, 30 tons all at once. She had felt the ground tremble from nearby bombings in the past, but this strike by a massive B-52 Stratofortress aircraft hit the town squarely. "Not only did my house shake, but the earth shook," she told The Intercept. "Those bombs were from the B-52s." Many in the downtown market area where she worked during the day were killed or wounded. "Three of my relatives - an uncle and two nephews - were killed by the B-52 bombing," she said. ... Read more

Uvalde families' push for gun control barely moves the needle
Axios | Nicole Cobler | 05/24/23

In the year since the Uvalde school shooting, the GOP-controlled Texas Legislature has largely ignored pleas for stricter gun laws from victims' families who have been spurred into activism.

The big picture: Over the summer and fall and during the legislative session, families drove 2 1/2 hours each way to the Capitol for multiple rallies and to meet with lawmakers.

But the issue remained intensely partisan, with Republican leaders unwilling to restrict firearm access. Instead, they moved to beef up security measures in schools, arm teachers and provide more access to mental health care.

Background: In the 140-day legislative session, a bill to raise the minimum age to buy certain semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 - a priority for the Uvalde families - advanced in a dramatic vote when two Republicans joined Democrats in voting the bill out of a House committee. ... Read more

"Shocked at the stupidity": Prosecutors obtain lawyer notes that blow up Trump's Mar-a-Lago defense
Salon | Igor Derysh | 05/22/23

Special counsel Jack Smith's team has obtained lawyer notes showing that former President Donald Trump was warned that he could not keep any classified documents in response to a subpoena he failed to comply with last year, according to The Guardian.

Trump lawyer Evan Corcoran, who was ordered to testify before a grand jury by a judge after prosecutors pierced his attorney-client privilege claims, conveyed the previously unreported warning to the former president last year, according to the report. The warning "could be significant" in Smith's probe because it shows that he was aware of his subpoena obligations, according to the report.

"Trump knew. He's always known," tweeted MSNBC legal analyst Katie Phang. ... Read more

'Worthless': Chevron's carbon offsets are mostly junk and some may harm, research says
TheGuardian | Nina Lakhani | 05/24/23

A new investigation into Chevron's climate pledge has found the fossil fuel company relies on "junk" carbon offsets and "unviable" technologies, which do little to offset its vast greenhouse gas emissions and in some cases may actually be causing communities harm.

Chevron, which reported $35.5bn in profits last year, is the US's second-largest fossil fuel company with operations stretching from Canada and Brazil to the UK, Nigeria and Australia.

Despite major expansions in five continents, Chevron has said that it "aspires" to achieve net zero upstream emissions by 2050. To do this, it is mostly relying on carbon offset schemes - environmental projects meant to cancel out its greenhouse gas emissions - and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies. ... Read more

NYT Columnist Paul Krugman on The Debt Ceiling | Al Franken | 05/07/23 | 50:31

Historic Colorado River deal not enough to stave off long-term crisis, experts say
TheGuardian | Oliver Milman | 05/23/23

Agreement between California, Arizona and Nevada will cut water consumption by 13% but experts warn river is still in serious peril

A hard-fought agreement between California, Arizona and Nevada to slash the states’ use of the shrinking Colorado River is only a temporary salve to a long-term water crisis that continues to threaten the foundations of life in the American west, experts have warned.

The deal, announced on Monday, between the three states that make up the lower portion of the sprawling Colorado basin will pare back 13% of water consumption from the beleaguered river over the next three years if adopted, averting the prospect of more stringent cuts imposed by the federal government. Backed by $1.2bn in federal funds, the bulk of the reductions are structured to encourage voluntary cuts taken by rights holders, in exchange for grant money. ... Read more

Congress braces for grueling week as debt deadline nears
Axios | Andrew Solender | 05/23/23

House leadership in both parties is advising members that they could be kept in session into Memorial Day weekend or be called back to vote mid-way through recess next week.

Why it matters: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen tripled down Monday on her warning that the U.S. could hit the debt ceiling "X-date" as soon as June 1.

"Members are elected to do the job," House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters on Monday evening, "And I think when we get this done, they'll vote for it."

Between the lines: Members have 72 hours to review legislation before voting on it, a rule McCarthy agreed to when securing the speakership in January.

The big picture: After a White House meeting with Biden on Monday, McCarthy told reporters, "I thought the meeting was productive," but "we still have differences." ... Read more

Uvalde Survivors Want Safe Schools. TikTok Has A Solution.
Politico | Norma Neus | 05/23/23

School security is mired in debate. But shooting survivors have their own ideas.

A few kids, including 10-year-old Kendall Olivarez, have packed into the bedroom Miah shares with her little sister, 9-year-old Elena, whose half of the room is decked out in Lilo and Stitch merch: a comforter, a pillow, even a beach towel hanging over the window like a curtain. The movie was playing in the classroom when a shooter walked into their school and murdered 19 students and two teachers one year ago.

Miah looks into the mirror, spraying spurts of hairspray onto her friend's head and combing it through carefully. A year ago, her own hair was still falling out in clumps from the fresh bullet fragments embedded in her scalp. Now, her hair is long and streaked with hot pink. But her back and arm still hurt from what doctors believe are other bullet fragments digging farther in, rather than coming out; sometimes it hurts so much she can't sleep. ... Read more

Debt ceiling talks enter make-or-break phase
Axios | Hans Nichols | 05/22/23

Ahead of their debt ceiling meeting Monday afternoon, neither President Biden nor House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) know whether the other side is willing to compromise at the 11th hour.

Why it matters: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen repeated her warnings Sunday - which she had made in public and in private - that June 1 is a "hard deadline" to raise the debt ceiling.article

"I'm hoping that Speaker McCarthy is just waiting to negotiate with me when I get home, " Biden said before leaving Japan where he attended a G-7 summit, "I don't know whether that's true or not."

At his closing press conference, Biden demanded that Republicans move off their "extreme positions." ... Read more

Smoke from Canada's wildfires prompts air quality alerts across U.S.
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 05/22/23

Smoke from Canada's wildfires has drifted across the border and prompted air quality alerts across multiple U.S. states over the weekend.

Why it matters: Wildfire smoke poses a threat to people's health even when hundreds of miles from the fire sites because of its harmful microscopic particles, studies show.

Threat level: States including Colorado, Utah, Montana and Idaho issued air quality alerts and advisories due to the dozens of fires burning across western Canada over the weekend. ... Read more

Military contract price gouging: Defense contractors overcharge Pentagon | 60 Minutes | 05/22/23 | 13:24

Cyber scammers target parents, grandparents for digital theft | 60 Minutes | 05/22/23 | 13:29

How a 12-year-old playbook is shaping the battle over the debt limit
Politico | Victoria Guida | date

If the comparison between the summer of 2011 and today isn't perfect, the parallels are striking and the lessons learned from that episode are deeply shaping the current fight over raising the government's borrowing limit.

Some of those lessons might have been the wrong ones: GOP lawmakers were emboldened by their success in slashing spending - even though then, as now, they avoided the main drivers of the debt like Social Security and Medicare. And President Joe Biden, who was heavily involved in the talks 12 years ago as vice president, vowed this time not to negotiate - then pivoted with little time left to strike a deal. ... Read more

The Far North Is Burning-and Our Climate Will Pay the Price
MotherJones | Matt Simon | 05/13/23

This story was originally published by Wired and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

The Far North is both a massive carbon sink and a potent environmental time bomb. The region stores a huge amount of CO2 in boreal forests and underlying soils. Organic peat soil, for instance, covers just 3 percent of the Earth's land area (there's some in tropical regions too), yet it contains a third of its terrestrial carbon. And Arctic permafrost has locked away thousands of years' worth of plant matter, preventing rot that would release clouds of planet-heating carbon dioxide and methane.

But in a pair of recent papers, scientists have found that wildfires and human meddling are reducing northern ecosystems' ability to sequester carbon, threatening to turn them into carbon sources. That will in turn accelerate climate change, which is already warming the Arctic four and a half times faster than the rest of the world, triggering the release of still more carbon-a gnarly feedback loop.

In fact, over 100 wildfires are burning across Alberta, Canada, right now, forcing nearly 30,000 people from their homes-an "unprecedented situation" in the region. The annual area burned in Canada has doubled since the 1970s, says Mike Flannigan, a fire scientist at Thompson Rivers University. (He wasn't involved in either of the new studies.) "A warmer world means more fire," he says. "As the temperature warms, the atmosphere gets very efficient at sucking moisture out of dead fuels. So it means more fuels available to burn, which leads to high-intensity fires, which are difficult to impossible to extinguish." ... Read more

Where AI evolves from here
Axios | Scott Rosenberg | 05/18/23

Microsoft researchers say the latest model of OpenAI's GPT "is a significant step towards AGI" - artificial general intelligence, the longtime grail for AI developers.

The big picture: If you think of AI as a technology ascending (or being pushed up) a ladder, Microsoft's paper claims that GPT-4 has climbed several rungs higher than anyone thought.

Driving the news: Microsoft released the "Sparks of Artificial General Intelligence" study in March, and it resurfaced in a provocative New York Times story Tuesday.

The researchers found that "GPT-4 can solve novel and difficult tasks that span mathematics, coding, vision, medicine, law, psychology and more, without needing any special prompting." ... Read more

Russia unsuccessfully hammers Ukraine again with missile barrage
Politico | Veronika Melkozerova | 05/18/23

Kyiv's air defense reports shooting down more than two dozen rockets.

KYIV - Ukrainian air defense reported shooting down 29 of 30 Russian rockets on Thursday morning, as the Kremlin delivered a new onslaught of cruise missiles.

It was the seventh massive missile attack carried out by Russia since the beginning of May. It has bombed all corners of Ukraine - including the rarely targeted Western regions.

All the Russian missiles aimed at Kyiv on Thursday were shot down, thanks to Ukraine's high-end air defense systems. ... Read more

Pacific Northwest heat wave shatters records
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 05/17/23

A stifling heat wave enveloping the Pacific Northwest and western Canada is expected to expand this week, threatening more temperature records.

The big picture: The weather map looks "strongly reminiscent" of late June 2021, which produced a deadly excessive heat event in the Pacific Northwest, experts say. ... Read more

AI leaders: Please regulate us
Axios | Ryan Heath | 05/17/23

For what might be the first time ever, industry leaders of a new technological revolution are practically begging the government to regulate them - and they still might not get what they want.

Driving the news: A discussion Tuesday between lawmakers and tech executives about the potential misuse of generative AI featured OpenAI CEO Sam Altman urging Congress to enact rules to limit the technology's dangers.

1. Altman's regulatory wish list: "a new agency that licenses any effort above a certain threshold of capabilities," testing of potentially dangerous AI models before deployment, and independent audits.
2. "This cannot be the era of 'move fast and break things,'" Montgomery said. Her priority: "define the highest risk uses of AI," with existing agencies taking action, rather than wait to commission a new AI-focused regulator.
3. Marcus argued for safety testing in the style of clinical trials for prescription drugs.
4. All three witnesses agreed on the need for international bodies to help set standards and monitor AI. Altman offered the International Atomic Energy Agency as a model.

1. Election misinformation, and impersonation of public and private figures.
2. Job disruption and economic displacement.
3. Weaknesses in non-English languages, including Spanish.
4. Copyright and licensing problems.
5. Dangerous and harmful content.

What they're saying: "This is your chance, folks, to tell us how to get this right. Please use it," said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.). "Talk in plain English and tell us what rules to implement." ... Read more

Trump lawyer in classified documents probe resigns
Politico | Betsy Woodruff Swan | 05/17/23

Tim Parlatore, one of the lawyers defending Donald Trump against special counsel Jack Smith's investigation into the handling of documents marked as classified, has resigned from the former president's legal team.

"It's personal and it's got nothing to do with my belief in the strength of the case," Parlatore told POLITICO Wednesday morning. CNN first reported his departure from Trump's legal team.

Parlatore began representing Trump as he lawyered up amid a growing number of legal threats, including Smith's other investigation into Trump's effort to subvert the 2020 election. ... Read more

Russia's most potent hypersonic weapon neutralised, says Ukraine
TheGuardian | Luke Harding | 05/16/23

Six out of six Kinzhal missiles launched at Kyiv during 'intense' night-time attack shot down, says air command

Ukraine has said it has neutralised the Kremlin's most potent hypersonic weapon, shooting down six out of six Kinzhal missiles launched at Kyiv during a sweeping and "exceptionally intense" night-time attack.

Yurii Ihnat, a spokesperson for Ukraine's air command, said Moscow had also bombarded the capital with nine Kalibr missiles and three ballistic rockets, as well as six attack drones and three reconnaissance drones. All were shot down, he said, thwarting what he called "air terrorism". ... Read more

'No one is safe' - the Russians speaking up against Putin's regime | BBC World | 05/11/23 | 52:21

Trump's a 'laughing fool' to world leaders, Bolton says
Politico | Matt Berg | 05/16/23

Former President Donald Trump has long touted what he says are strong relationships with high profile leaders on the world stage, but they actually think he's a 'laughing fool, according to John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser.

"I have been in those rooms with him when he met with those leaders, I believe they think he's a laughing fool. And the idea that somehow his presence in office would have deterred Putin is flatly wrong," he said on CNN Tuesday morning, naming the Russian, Chinese and North Korean leaders in particular. ... Read more

OpenAI CEO in "historic" move calls for regulation before Congress
Axios | Ashley Gold | 05/16/23

Lawmakers aired fears Tuesday about the potential misuse of generative AI, peppering OpenAI CEO Sam Altman with questions as he repeatedly said he'd welcome legislation in the space.

Driving the news: Altman, whose company OpenAI's generative AI product ChatGPT sparked the latest AI craze, testified before the Senate Judiciary committee for the first time as the the likelihood lawmakers unite and act on AI regulation before the technology rapidly develops remains slim.

Our thought bubble: Altman, testifying in Congress two weeks after his appearance at a White House AI summit, was thoughtful and exacting in his responses to senators, even when members got a little combative. ... Read more

AI's loneliness crisis
Axios | Ryan Heath | 05/15/23

Loneliness in the U.S., which spiked during the isolation of COVID, remains a public health "crisis" - and now the advent of ubiquitous AI-driven chatbots could make actual human contact even scarcer.

Why it matters: In the long haul, experts worry that AI might further cocoon people from the relationships and conversations they need. But in the short term, AI-powered companions, pets and mental health support services are already being drafted to fight the loneliness epidemic. ... Read more

Donald Trump Betrayed the Country. And It Worked.
Politico | Gwenda Blair | 05/12/23

Fact-checkers have made their careers tracking the lies of Donald Trump. During his presidential tenure alone, he recorded 30,573 - many of which he repeated in his return to cable television at a CNN town hall on Wednesday, including his lie that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. But meanwhile, another meter has been running. Let's call it the betrayal count - and although there's no official total, there's little doubt it is, as Trump himself would say, yuge.

He cheated on his first wife, Ivana, with model Marla Maples, then married Maples and - according to a New York federal jury - sexually abused columnist E. Jean Carroll in a Bergdorf-Goodman dressing room, which recently cost him $5 million. A decade later, when married to his third wife, Melania, he allegedly had a one-night stand with porn star Stormy Daniels and used campaign funds to pay her hush money - a move that led to the first indictment of a former president on criminal charges in history. Throughout his business career, he's left everyone from construction workers to his own lawyers out in the cold, awaiting payment - not to mention the students of Trump University. Not even his own cabinet was safe from Trump's betrayal - just ask Jim Mattis. Or Jeff Sessions. Or Elaine Chao. Better yet, ask Mike Pence, who Trump made the target of a violent mob when he wiped his feet on his oath of office on Jan. 6. ... Read more

60 Minutes Archive: NSO Group's "Pegasus" | 60 Minutes | 2022 | 13:19

Global Spyware Scandal: Exposing Pegasus Part One | PBS Frontline | 2023 | 53:15

White Christian nationalism emerges from shadows of GOP politics | MSNBC | 05/13/23 | 11:26

Inside a family's harrowing journey to the U.S. border
Axios | Stef W. Kight | 05/12/23

EL PASO, Texas - Tens of thousands of migrants are desperately lining up at the doorstep of the United States, having survived perilous journeys to take a chance on admission to the U.S. in the face of the Biden administration's strict new migration policies.

Why it matters: The confusion over changing U.S. policies has led many to rush to the border. Some who've crossed into the U.S. are being allowed to stay as they pursue their immigration cases - and are telling harrowing tales of their struggles.

Zoom in: Juan, 26, Jhosnnielyz, 22, and their two children, ages 5 and 3, left Venezuela four months ago. They were determined to seek a better life in the U.S. - and undeterred by immigration challenges they knew they'd face. ... Read more

How to Stop Republicans From Tanking the Economy | Robert Reich | 05/06/23 | 2:03

California's 'ghost lake' reappears after sodden winter
TheGuardian | Gabrielle Canon | 05/12/23

New satellite images released from Nasa this week showcase the dramatic reappearance of California’s Tulare Lake after water swallowed swaths of land across the state's agricultural center that had long been dry.

Taken between the start of February and the end of April and colored artificially to help distinguish the water from vegetation and bare ground, the images highlight the scale of the transformation across the region still grappling with the aftermath of this winter’s heavy rains and snow.

This isn't the first time the “ghost lake” has caused widespread flooding, but the onslaught of weather whiplash wreaked havoc on residents, agricultural workers and farms - and it's far from finished. ... Read more

What El Nino Will do to Earth in 2024 | Astrum | 05/06/23 | 15:01

As the border heats up, Dems fracture over a migration solution
Politico | DANIELLA DIAZ | 05/12/23

Sherrod Brown is a stalwart progressive who doesn't often partner with the likes of Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema.

On the hot-button issue of immigration, though, the Ohio Democrat is siding with his caucus' two most famous centrists.

As the Biden administration deals with the expiration of its pandemic-era power to expel migrants at the southern border, Brown is signing onto a moderate proposal to extend that authority for two more years. Though he wants to see comprehensive immigration reform enacted, Brown said that "I don't think you can get something comprehensive now, under the pressure of what's happening at the border." ... Read more

Democracy isn't ready for its AI test
Axios | Ryan Heath | 05/11/23

AI-generated content is emerging as a disruptive political force just as nations around the world are gearing up for a rare convergence of election cycles in 2024.

Why it matters: Around one billion voters will head to polls in 2024 across the U.S., India, the European Union, the U.K. and Indonesia, plus Russia — but neither AI companies nor governments have put matching election protections in place.

State of play: Election authorities, which are often woefully underfunded, must lean on existing rules to cope with the AI deluge.

AI startups tend to have few or no election policies. ... Read more

Toe-curlingly bad television: Trump’s torturous town hall backfires on CNN
TheGuardian | David Smith | 05/11/23

Truth didn't stand a chance as the former president talked too fast to be factchecked and too shamelessly to be interrupted

The nausea came gradually, then suddenly, and with disconcerting familiarity. We had been flung back in time to the political hellscape of 2016. Only the second time around, it was somehow worse.

Donald Trump, the former US president appearing on CNN for the first time since that fateful election year, lied and lied and lied. He was a leviathan of lying, a juggernaut of junk, an ocean liner of mendacity that left little boats of truth spinning and overturning in its wake. ... Read more

Voters from town hall weigh in on Trump's performance | MSNBC | 05/11/23 | 7:16

California's Lithium Valley could power electric vehicle industry | 60 Minutes | 05/10/23 | 13:13

The trust-nothing election
Axios | Mike Allen | 05/10/23

Brace yourself for a new, scary dynamic in American politics: the trust-nothing era.

Why it matters: Two new trends are about to unfold in real time.

1. Elon Musk and Tucker Carlson are joining forces, each warning that you should trust nothing outside of Twitter.
   1. Carlson announced via a video on Twitter Tuesday that "starting soon" he'll be "bringing a new version of the show" he's been doing at Fox News to Twitter.
   2. Musk said he and Carlson "have not signed a deal of any kind whatsoever." But Axios learned they've discussed working together.
2. The brains behind generative AI warned administration officials during a recent White House meeting of an imminent explosion of highly convincing and manipulative fake videos and stories in the run-up to the 2024 election.
   1. Think fake news on steroids - and lighting up your screen. ... Read more

So How Does ChatGPT really work? Behind the screen! | 04/010/23 | 15:00

Clarence and Ginni Thomas: Politics, Power and the Supreme Court | PBS Frontline | | 1:53:14

Putin slams "Russophobia" at scaled-back Victory Day parade
Axios | Dave Lawler | 05/09/23

What he's saying: Putin accused Western leaders of spreading "Russophobia" and using Ukraine as a puppet in their conflict with Russia.

1. "We believe that any ideology of superiority is inherently disgusting, criminal and deadly," he said, despite having justified his own invasion on the grounds that Ukraine is subordinate to Russia.
2. The ceremony was attended by the leaders of seven of the other 14 former Soviet republics: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. ...

Ben Hodges Explained! Russia's Collapse Will Be Worse Than You Think! | infinity | 05/04/23 | 11:12

Path to a debt-ceiling deal: Fail, then succeed
Axios | Hans Nichols | 05/09/23

Failure is not an option in the debt ceiling talks. But flirting with it may be necessary to reach a deal.

Why it matters: For a compromise between President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on raising the nation's $31.4 trillion debt limit to be possible, the political environment needs to change dramatically, top Democrats and Republicans privately acknowledge.

That's unlikely without an outside event - such as a massive stock market plunge in response to (or in fear of) a government default - that shocks the parties into reconsidering their positions.

Another potential game changer: If Treasury is forced to stop issuing certain payments, like checks to Social Security recipients. ... Read more

Trump's weird weapon: Bad news
Axios | Mike Allen | 05/09/23

Call it the Trump Law of Inverse Reactions: Everything that would seem to hurt the former president only makes him stronger.

Why it matters: Trump's grip over Republicans seems stronger than ever - and chances of beating President Biden are as high as ever.

Former President Trump, in the past few months, has:

China races ahead of U.S. on AI regulation
Axios | Ryan Heath | 05/08/23

While American leaders fret that China might eventually overtake the U.S. in developing artificial intelligence, Beijing is already way ahead of Washington in enacting rules for the new technology.

Driving the news: Chinese officials will close consultation Wednesday on a second round of generative AI regulation, building on a set of rules governing deepfakes agreed in 2022.

Why it matters: The Biden administration is behind both allies and adversaries on AI guardrails. While officials in Washington talk about delivering user rights and urge CEOs to mitigate risks, Beijing and Brussels are actually delivering rights and mitigating risks.

The big picture: If China can be first on AI governance, it can project those standards and regulations globally, shaping lucrative and pliable markets. ... Read more

'Godfather of AI' discusses dangers the developing technologies pose to society | PBS NewsHour | 05/07/23 | 8:26

THE BLAST EFFECT
Washington Post | N. Kirkpatrick | 03/27/23

The scenes of chaos and terror are all too familiar in America.

The AR-15 fires bullets at such a high velocity - often in a barrage of 30 or even 100 in rapid succession - that it can eviscerate multiple people in seconds. A single bullet lands with a shock wave intense enough to blow apart a skull and demolish vital organs. The impact is even more acute on the compact body of a small child.

"It literally can pulverize bones, it can shatter your liver and it can provide this blast effect," said Joseph Sakran, a gunshot survivor who advocates for gun violence prevention and a trauma surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital. ... Read more

How Wealth Inequality Spiraled Out of Control | Robert Reich | 2022 | 12:18

12 Myths About Taxing the Rich | Robert Reich | 4yrs old | 8:25

Russia and Ukraine fight to control narrative, territory as war enters new phase
Axios | Dave Lawler | 05/05/23

Moscow and Kyiv are on high alert as a series of explosions on both sides of the border, including over the Kremlin, herald a new phase of the war.

The big picture: Tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops - equipped with new Western tanks, artillery and training - are preparing for a critical offensive.

Russia, meanwhile, is preparing for its annual showcase of military might in Moscow. Leaders in several Russian border regions have canceled their own Victory Day parades on Tuesday, though, apparently fearing cross-border strikes. ... Read more

Sudan's neighbours have little to offer refugees, warns UN
TheGuardian | Lizzy Davies | 05/05/23

Thousands of Sudanese are crossing borders into countries already severely stressed by drought, conflicts and food insecurity, say UN officials Neighbouring countries have little to offer refugees, warns UN.

The UN is in a race against time to get food supplies to Sudanese refugees crossing the border into Chad before the rainy season begins, as neighbouring countries struggle to cope with the numbers of people fleeing the civil war. ... Read more

12 Myths About Taxing the Rich | Robert Reich | 4yrs old | 8:25

WHO: COVID-19 no longer global health emergency
Axios | staff | 05/05/23

COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency, World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared Friday.

What he's saying: "For more than a year, the pandemic has been on a downward trend," Tedros told reporters. "This trend has allowed most countries to return to life as we knew it before COVID-19." ... Read more

Welcome to the New Not Normal
Axios | Felix Salmon | 05/04/23

If you're confused by the current banking crisis, that's entirely understandable: We live in very confusing times.

The big picture: The 70 years from 1946 to 2015 individuals and companies could make long-term plans. Then in quick succession came 2016 (Brexit and Trump), 2020 (COVID-19) and 2022 (Russia invading Ukraine).

Why it matters: My new book, "The Phoenix Economy," is an examination of "life, work, and money in the New Not Normal" — how we should get used to unexpected things that don't make a lot of sense. ... Read more

The Phoenix Economy: Work, Life, and Money in the New Not Normal by Felix Salmon

This book is essential for anyone wanting a better understanding of the near- and long-term effects of this new era and what they portend for our lives. It's a penetrating insight into what happened and, more important, what lies ahead.

Out of Thin Air (2023) 60 Minutes s55 e32 Trailer HD CarbFix, Climeworks AG Carbon Capture | Climate Alert | 05/01/23 | 4:54

Citizenfour is a 2014 documentary by Laura Poitras about Edward Snowden and the NSA spying scandal | 2014 | 1:53:32

Citizenfour is a 2014 documentary film Wikipedia

GOP getting ruled by Hakeem Jeffries | current | 1:00

Why the First Republic drama isn't over yet
Axios | staff | 05/02/23

If you were looking for a huge sigh of relief from the markets after the sale of large chunks of First Republic Bank to JPMorgan yesterday, you were disappointed.

State of play: Financial markets gave mixed reviews to the government-aided purchase of parts of the failed San Francisco-based bank, which specialized in high-touch service for the wealthy.

Regional bank shares continued to sell off with the S&P 500 regional banking index down 3.4%. The KBW banking index, another closely watched bank index, was off by 1.8%. ... Read more

How the bank crisis hits the economy
Axios | Matt Phillips | 05/03/23

Lending is likely to tighten further amid the banking crisis, creating a new headwind for an otherwise decent economy.

Why it matters: Consumption-driven economies depend on access to credit for investment, a big driver of growth. When the flow of credit is curtailed by a financial panic, the economy suffers.

Driving the news: It was yet another wobbly day for the share prices of small banks. Investors are worried that policymakers still haven't been able to snuff out a crisis that began in March with the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.

The S&P 500 index of larger regional bank shares fell nearly 7%, led by a nearly 11% tumble in Utah's Zions Bancorporation. ... Read more

The Monetary System Visually Explained | Iconz Global Network, LLC. | Michael Maloney | 10/02/18 | 21:28

Meet the Press NOW - May 1 | NBC | 05/01/23 | 50:15

Snowden | | 2016 | 1:34:06

AI experts warn of looming catastrophes
Axios | Ryan Heath | 05/02/23

The "godfather of AI" quit Google and joined a growing chorus of experts warning that the rush to deploy artificial intelligence could lead to disaster.

Why it matters: When some of the smartest people building a technology warn it could turn on humans and shred our institutions, it's worth listening.

Driving the news: Geoffrey Hinton, a top machine-learning pioneer, says he left Google so he could speak freely about the dangers of rushing generative AI products.

"It is hard to see how you can prevent the bad actors from using it for bad things," Hinton, 75, told The New York Times. ... Read more

Donald Trump's defense attorney in rape trial may have accidentally revealed the motive
Salon | Amanda Marcotte | 05/01/23

Note that the other reported story of Trump moving past groping to full-blown rape was also rooted not in lust, but anger.

During her acrimonious divorce from Trump, Ivana Trump testified in a deposition that he raped her in a fit of rage, blaming her for his bad plastic surgery. "Does it hurt?" she recalls he said afterward, taunting her. She withdrew the allegation later, but Trump's biographer points out that her alimony payments were likely in danger if she did not recant. ... Read more

WikiLeaks' Collateral Murder: U.S. Soldier Ethan McCord | mediasanctuary | -12yrs ago | 17:21

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope: Stunning new images captured of the universe | 60 Minutes | 04/07/23 | 12:47

1 MINUTE AGO: James Webb Telescope Just Detected A 200 Million Year Old Structure! | EYES 200M | 05/01/23 | 11:25

What we know about the Cleveland, Texas, mass shooting
Axios | staff | 05/04/23

A manhunt remains underway for the suspect in a mass shooting that killed five people in a small Texas town on Friday.

Driving the news: Authorities on Sunday offered a reward totaling $80,000 for the capture of Francisco Oropesa, 38, whom they identified as the suspect in the case. Oropesa lives near the Cleveland, Texas, home where the shooting occurred around 11:30 pm local time on Friday night.

"What we need from the public is any type of information, because right now we're just we're running into dead ends," said James Smith, the FBI's special agent in charge, at a Sunday afternoon news conference. "We have zero leads." ... Read more

Biden & The Border: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | John Oliver | 05/01/23 | 19:43

Woody Harrelson discusses Daniel Ellsberg, and The Most Dangerous Man in America

Daniel Ellsberg, and The Most Dangerous Man in America

Even More on Daniel Ellsberg

The Doomsday Machine by Daniel Ellsberg

From the legendary whistle-blower who revealed the Pentagon Papers, an eyewitness expose of the dangers of America's Top Secret, seventy-year-long nuclear policy that continues to this day.

Here, for the first time, former high-level defense analyst Daniel Ellsberg reveals his shocking firsthand account of America's nuclear program in the 1960s. From the remotest air bases in the Pacific Command, where he discovered that the authority to initiate use of nuclear weapons was widely delegated, to the secret plans for general nuclear war under Eisenhower, which, if executed, would cause the near-extinction of humanity, Ellsberg shows that the legacy of this most dangerous arms buildup in the history of civilization--and its proposed renewal under the Trump administration--threatens our very survival. No other insider with high-level access has written so candidly of the nuclear strategy of the late Eisenhower and early Kennedy years, and nothing has fundamentally changed since that era.