Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

The fight against China's protest censorship
Axios | Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian | 11/29/22

Amid an unprecedented swell of public anger against the Chinese government, internet users in China are racing to screenshot and repost content related to the COVID protests as censors try to scrub social media spaces of dissent.

Why it matters: Videos and photos posted to social media are one of the only ways to get information about the protests since information is tightly controlled in China and journalism in the country is heavily restricted.

Driving the news: The largest protests since the Tiananmen pro-democracy movement in 1989 have been spreading across China in response to pandemic policies that have seen people locked into their apartments for weeks or even months at a time, damaged the economy, and made daily life uncertain for hundreds of millions of people. ... Read more

Fed chair Powell: No "clear progress" toward lower inflation
Axios | Courtenay Brown & Neil Irwin | 11/30/22

Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday said there isn't yet "clear progress" that decades-high inflation has turned a corner, despite rapid interest rate increases and slowing economic growth.

Why it matters: The assessment signals that the Fed will continue raising interest rates higher than its leaders expected, and will likely keep them high next year in its effort to tamp down inflation.

What they're saying: "It will take substantially more evidence to give comfort that inflation is actually declining." Powell said at an event hosted by the Brookings Institution. ... Read more

Post Mortem (full documentary) | PBS FRONTLINE | reposted 11/24/22 | 53:17

China maintains zero-COVID despite unprecedented protests
Axios | Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian | 11/28/22

Despite stunning nationwide protests, China's government is sticking with the zero-COVID policies that have rocked the economy and deeply damaged people's trust.

Why it matters: Skyrocketing COVID cases in China mean that Chinese leader Xi Jinping will likely be forced to choose between plunging his country back into the draconian lockdowns - or abandoning his signature pandemic policy as crowds of protesters call for him to step down.

The state of play: Chinese state media continued to praise zero-COVID measures on Monday, signaling no change in official policy. ... Read more

“TANTURA” EXPOSES THE LIE AT THE HEART OF ISRAEL’S FOUNDING MYTH
TheIntercept | Alice Speri | 11/25/22

THE STATE OF ISRAEL so fears its own history that it passed a law, in 2011, penalizing anyone who commemorates the day of its establishment as one of mourning rather than celebration. Dubbed the "Nakba law" after the Arabic word for "catastrophe,"" which Palestinians have always used in reference to the establishment of the Israeli state and their own displacement, the law captures the existential anxiety of a country that has never acknowledged its past even as it continues to struggle with its ramifications.

Israel's narrative of its own birth is tightly orchestrated and controlled. Before the military opened its archives of the 1948 war, it issued a policy forbidding the release of any documents detailing the forced deportation of Palestinians; any human rights violations, including war crimes, committed by Israeli forces; or anything that might "harm the [Israeli Defense Forces]'s image" or expose it as "devoid of moral standards."" ... Read more

Historic snowstorm underway in Buffalo as unusual cold grips the U.S.
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 11/18/22

A rare weather pattern is causing pre-Thanksgiving frigid air to dive southward from Canada and across the lower 48 states, setting up a "crippling" lake effect snowstorm in the Buffalo, New York, area.

The big picture: An anomalously strong ridge of high pressure parked over Alaska is causing the jet stream to buckle, opening the refrigerator door from the Arctic.

Threat level: With strong winds blowing across the Great Lakes, an extreme lake effect snow event is now underway. Bands of snow with accumulations of more than three inches per hour downwind of Lake Erie in particular were expected to continue through Sunday.

The snowfall is expected to be be "crippling," the National Weather Service warns, with many areas seeing three feet or more. This is likely to include Buffalo, and peak amounts could exceed four or even five feet, the NWS predicts. ... Read more

Decoding the government's dire ransomware warnings
Axios | Sam Sabin | 11/18/22

Despite the government's best efforts, squashing ransomware still remains one of U.S. cyber officials' toughest tasks.

Driving the news: During public appearances at the Aspen Cyber Summit earlier this week, government officials gave a rare glimpse into just how difficult ransomware is to fight.

What they're saying: "We've only seen the problem continue to get worse, even with all of the efforts we've made," said Paul Abbate, deputy director of the FBI, during the summit.

Between the lines: A growing number of high-profile attacks in recent months - including the September attack on the L.A. Unified School District and another attack last month on CommonSpirit Health - are playing into renewed public warnings. ... Read more

Crypto dominoes fall in the wake of FTX's collapse
Axios | Matt Phillips | 11/17/22

The collapse of FTX and Alameda Research continues to reverberate through the crypto world — and more dominoes are falling.

The latest: On Wednesday, the crisis touched a high-profile crypto lender run by the billionaire twins Cameron Winklevoss and Tyler Winklevoss, forcing them to halt withdrawals from their Gemini Earn crypto lending program.

The big picture: It's a classic case of contagion. That’s when the failure of one institution sets off a rush among customers to redeem their money, which makes the institution's lending and borrowing impossible — ultimately generating a cascade of similar closures from other firms.

What's happening: Since FTX filed for bankruptcy on Friday, the crisis has caused problems for a growing list of firms, some considered cornerstones of the crypto industry just last week. ... Read more

Amazon can't get enough human workers — so here come the robots
Axios | Joann Muller | 11/17/22

Amazon is rolling out an army of robots that could soon select and sort the majority of the 13 million packages it delivers every day.

Why it matters: Increased demand for expedited delivery has the e-commerce giant looking for ways to shave package processing time.

Speed pressure has triggered union organizing efforts at some Amazon warehouses by workers who complain of injuries and exhaustion.

Turnover rates are so high the company fears it could run out of people to hire in its U.S. warehouses by 2024, according to Recode, citing internal Amazon research. ... Read more

Sparrow is Amazon's new intelligent robotic system that streamlines the fulfillment process by moving individual products before they get packaged-a major technological advancement to support our employees.

Ted Cruz SNAPS, has the ultimate meltdown over midterm losses (Especially 6min-8min & 8min-9 1/2min) | BTC | 11/15/22 | 9:57

Republican TURNS on his OWN party (Especially 6min-7min) | BTC | 11/16/22 | 8:01

Trump's low-energy reset
Axios | Jonathan Swan, Mike Allen | 11/16/22

Advisers knew former President Trump, bleeding support among Republicans for his wild antics over the past week, needed a reset during last night's 2024 announcement. So the text was deliberately low-key.

The big picture: Trump's delivery was so restrained, even languid, that it was widely derided as "low energy" - Trump's devastating jab at former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush during the 2016 primaries.

The tightly scripted, staff-driven speech reflected Trump's weakened position post-midterms. None of the cocky swagger and energy of his 2016 announcement. ... Read more

Former President Donald Trump announces 2024 presidential run | CNBC | 11/15/22 | 5:18

Ted Cruz SNAPS, has the ultimate meltdown over midterm losses | BTC | 11/15/22 | 9:57

THE BIDEN-HARRIS RECORD

World leaders have come and gone. Now lower level ministers at COP27 in Egypt must wrestle with the thorniest issues dividing rich and poor nations on the climate crisis in order to craft an agreement.

Why it matters: The decisions made in Sharm el-Sheikh could help determine whether the Paris warming limit of 1.5°C permanently fades into the distance, or if nations commit to sweeping actions to keep it alive.

Driving the news: The crucial second week of the summit comes as a new scientific report reveals the world is still headed in the wrong direction on fossil fuel-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Emissions are likely to reach an all-time high this year, with a 1% increase over last year, according to the Global Carbon Project, an international research effort. ... Read more

Six degrees could change the world | 11/21/15 | 1:14:32

Biden and Xi say US and China should compete "responsibly"
Axios | Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian | 11/14/22

BALI, Indonesia - President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed during a meeting today to establish regular channels of communication between key officials and to carefully manage the U.S.-China relationship going forward.

Why it matters: The meeting, held on the sidelines of the G20 summit, marked the first time the two leaders have met since Biden became president and seems to have met the Biden administration's stated goal of establishing guardrails to responsibly manage competition between the two superpowers.

What they're saying: The two leaders "agreed to empower key senior officials to maintain communication and deepen constructive efforts on these and other issues," according to the White House readout. ... Read more

Emissions tracking at all-time high as leaders meet at COP27
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 11/14/22

World leaders have come and gone. Now lower level ministers at COP27 in Egypt must wrestle with the thorniest issues dividing rich and poor nations on the climate crisis in order to craft an agreement.

Why it matters: The decisions made in Sharm el-Sheikh could help determine whether the Paris warming limit of 1.5°C permanently fades into the distance, or if nations commit to sweeping actions to keep it alive.

Driving the news: The crucial second week of the summit comes as a new scientific report reveals the world is still headed in the wrong direction on fossil fuel-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Emissions are likely to reach an all-time high this year, with a 1% increase over last year, according to the Global Carbon Project, an international research effort. ... Read more

Inside the battle for Taiwan and China's looming war threat | 60 Minutes Australia | 11/06/22 | 30:45

'Q: Into the Storm' REVEALS Who Is Behind Qanon | TYT | 11/04/21 | 36:43

IN FULL: Former US President Donald Trump speaks at Ohio rally | ABC News Australia | 11/08/22 | 1:41:10

Democrats make quiet history with state-level gains
Axios | Alexi McCammond | 11/11/22

Overlooked amid frantic punditry about the "red ripple" in Congress: Democrats quietly won and defended majorities in state legislatures across the country, weakening GOP power on issues at the heart of the national political debate.

Why it matters: State legislative races are on pace to be the highlight of the Democratic ballot. If Democrats hold on to Nevada, this will be the first time the party in power hasn't lost a single chamber in the midterms since 1934, according to the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.

The big picture: The partisan battles over democracy and abortion rights — the two issues that dominated Democratic messaging this cycle — are shaped at the state level. ... Read more

Biden rides green wave, and new pledges, into turbulent climate summit
Politico | Zack Colman | 11/10/22

President Joe Biden is landing in Egypt on Friday to take a victory lap on climate change and unveil a raft of new actions to an international audience - but he’s facing continued grumbling about U.S. stinginess and the impending reality of weakened political power at home.

The White House hopes people at the U.N. climate summit in Sharm El-Sheikh will focus on Biden’s accomplishments, including signing the United States' biggest-ever climate bill and reversing the outright fossil-fuel cheerleading of the Trump era. He is also announcing a doubling of U.S. contributions to a global climate-adaptation fund, to $100 million, as well as new regulatory efforts to reduce planet-warming methane pollution by U.S. oil and gas companies. ... Read more

Biden Vs. Xi: The Global Battle for Restoring Domestic Economic Balance
www.theglobalist.com | Andrés Ortega | 2021

The United States and China have a problem that is shared by both countries in a similarly spectacular and worrisome fashion - the burgeoning inequality at the heart of their societies.

While inequality has also been on the rise elsewhere, the world's two largest economies suffer from it more acutely than the rest.

Unequal rise: It wasn't supposed to be like this. After all, the growth of their economies over the past 20 years was supposed to lift all "boats". It hasn't.

Combatting this development and in particular bolstering the welfare of the middle classes are key priorities for both Joe Biden and Xi Jinping. They know that their respective personal political futures are at stake. ... Read more

Here are 3 dangerous climate tipping points the world is on track for
NPR | Rebecca Hersher | 11/10/22

Change #1: Ice sheets in Greenland and West Antarctica could collapse Ice sheets are the massive expanses of ice that cover Greenland and Antarctica, and which contain about two thirds of the freshwater on Earth. Climate change is already causing them to melt, and raising sea levels around the world.

Change #2: Permanently frozen ground could thaw Climate change is causing permafrost - the permanently frozen ground in the Arctic - to thaw. And as the Earth approaches 2 degrees Celsius of warming, that thawing ground will cause both local and global problems.

Change #3: Coral reefs could be gone forever By overall area, coral reefs are a tiny part of the ocean. But they're a bedrock ecosystem for marine life, supporting an estimated 25% of all species. ... Read more

QAnon 101: The Search for Q | VICE | 11/08/21 | 46:29

How Propaganda Is Destroying Democracy | Breaking The Vote | VICE | 11/08/21 | 44:39

Meet the ‘QAnon shaman’ behind the horns at the Capitol insurrection | UK C4 | 11/08/21 | 11:46

QAnon Has Moved Off the Internet and Is Coming For Congress | VICE | 11/08/20 | 15:03

Democrats May Lose U.S. House Because New York Dem. Leaders Were Too Focused on Defeating the Left | DN | 11/10/22 | 15:05

Sequoia Capital says it did proper due diligence on FTX
Axios | Dan Primack | 11/09/22

Venture capital firm Sequoia Capital on Wednesday sent a letter to investors about its investment in FTX, the global crypto exchange that suddenly collapsed after being valued at over $30 billion.

Why it matters: Sequoia is arguably the most successful venture capital firm ever, having made early investments in such companies as Apple, Google and Airbnb. This episode is a rare black eye, leaving both the firm and its limited partners scrambling for information.

What they're saying: Sequoia's message was threefold.

Tropical Storm Nicole to strike Florida, travel up East Coast
Axios | Andrew Freedman | 11/09/22

Tropical Storm Nicole is bringing high winds and coastal flooding to eastern Florida while raking the northwest Bahamas with heavy rains and storm surge flooding. It is forecast to become a hurricane before striking Florida overnight.

Threat level: The storm will bring damaging storm surge flooding along the east coast of Florida, north to Georgia and South Carolina, along with heavy rain and damaging winds.

The latest: Shortly before noon, the storm made landfall on Great Abaco Island, about 185 miles east of West Palm Beach. It was moving west at 12mph, with maximum sustained winds of 70mph, just shy of hurricane strength.

Dry air has been sucked into the system, choking off some of the thunderstorms needed for further intensification, the National Hurricane Center stated in an online forecast discussion.

If Nicole does hit Florida as a hurricane, it would be the latest in the season that such a storm has hit the state. In fact, even if it is a strong tropical storm, it may rank as one of the top 5 strongest storms to hit the U.S. so late in the season. ... Read more

Trump's the loser as GOP falters
Axios | Jonathan Swan | 11/09/22

Former President Trump is facing waves of blame after key Republican candidates lost in midterms.

The big picture: There was no red wave. As of this morning, control of the Senate is undetermined, but appears to be leaning toward Democrats. The House is headed for a very narrow GOP majority, but is also uncalled.

Why it matters: Regardless of the reality with GOP primary voters, Republican elites - and other anti-Trump Republicans - sense blood in the water. There's an increased likelihood of a larger, more boisterous primary field competing against Trump in 2024.

The chances Trump can clear the field are vastly diminished.

What happened: Many of former President Trump's handpicked candidates were defeated or struggled in otherwise winnable races - a lineup of underachievers. ... Read more

Why we may not know election results on Tuesday
Axios | Erin Doherty | 11/08/22

Results for the highly anticipated midterm elections may not come for days, or weeks, after voting concludes - and that's not a sign that the process isn't working.

The big picture: A number of factors could contribute to election results dragging past Tuesday, including processing and counting ballots and election rules in key battleground states.

Between the lines: The 2022 midterms come as election deniers are on ballots nationwide - and those candidates could use delays to promote baseless claims that elections were rigged.

Some candidates have already declined to say whether they would accept the results of the election in their states.

Flashback: The 2020 presidential election - which saw the highest percentages of Americans voting by mail than any recent election - was not officially called by major news outlets until days after voting closed. ... Read more

Election Subversion: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | 11/08/22 | 33:04

The ReAwaken America Tour unites conservative Christians and conspiracy theorists
NPR | Lisa Hagens | 11/03/22

Since early last year, some of the most prolific spreaders of conspiracy theories have been barnstorming across the country alongside a stacked cast of pro-Trump speakers, preachers and self-proclaimed prophets.

Each stop of the ReAwaken America Tour is part conservative Christian revival, part QAnon expo and part political rally. It features big name stars in the MAGA galaxy, including MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, Trump adviser Roger Stone, and former President Donald Trump's son, Eric. There are meet and greets, a buffet and lately, baptisms and the casting out of demons.

The show was conceived in the months after former national security adviser Michael Flynn received a pardon from Trump. Flynn connected with Clay Clark, an Oklahoma man who had been hosting local, anti-lockdown gatherings during the pandemic. The two put on their first event in Tulsa in April 2021. The most recent stop in Pennsylvania Amish country was their 16th show together. ... Read more

Michael Flynn's Holy War (full documentary) | FRONTLINE | 2014 | 1:53:30

Scoop: Trump team eyes Nov. 14 announcement
Axios | Jonathan Swan | 11/04/22

Former President Trump's inner circle is discussing announcing the launch of a 2024 presidential campaign on Nov. 14 — with the official announcement possibly followed by a multi-day series of political events, according to three sources familiar with the sensitive discussions.

Why it matters: Trump and his top advisers have been signaling for weeks that a 2024 announcement is imminent. But those discussions have reached the point that allies are blocking off days in their calendars for the week after the midterms — and preparing to travel.

What we're hearing: With polls pointing toward a good night for Republicans on Tuesday, Trump plans to surf the GOP's expected post-midterm euphoria to build momentum for his own effort to retake the White House. ... Read more

Biden delivers remarks on the state of democracy after attack on Paul Pelosi | PBS | 11/02/22 | 21:35

How the Fed moved markets
Axios | Matt Phillips | 11/03/22

It wasn't quite a pivot, but investors were initially pleased to see the Fed's policy statement flick at the possibility that it could slow - or even pause - its rate hikes. Then came the presser.

Driving the news: Markets whipsawed in the aftermath of another 0.75 percentage point rate hike on Wednesday - the sixth hike of the year. Stocks first rose on the statement, then flopped during and after Fed chair Jerome Powell's post-announcement press conference.

The big picture: The rate hike wasn't the real news.

What first moved the markets was the bit of the Fed's monetary policy statement - released at 2pm ET - that hinted the bank may want to pause and assess how hard this year's series of fast, steep rate increases hit the economy, before carrying on. ... Read more

White Trump Supporters on Slavery & Freedom | 11/02/22 | 5:00

Musk personally led call with civil rights groups to address hate speech on Twitter
Politico | Rebecca Kern and Mark Scott | 11/02/22

Twitter CEO Elon Musk single-handedly led a call on Tuesday with civil rights groups in an effort to assure them that he would curtail hate speech - and stop the spread of misinformation ahead of the midterm elections.

Musk said that Twitter employees responsible for election integrity who had been locked out of their moderation tools during the company's acquisition will have their access reinstated by the end of the week, three people on the call confirmed. ... Read more

Putin's Attack on Ukraine: Documenting War Crimes (full documentary) | FRONTLINE | 10/28/22 | 1:23:16

Biden set to deliver major speech on democracy
Axios | Erin Doherty | 11/02/22

President Biden on Wednesday evening is set to deliver a speech at Union Station in the Capitol Hill neighborhood on democracy, where he will make clear what's at stake in the midterm elections.

Driving the news: "You can expect to hear from him this evening... there is a lot at stake including democracy and that everyone has a role in that," said White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Assistant to the President Jen O'Malley Dillon during an Axios News Shapers event on Wednesday.

"The other thing that will be really important... people will be able to vote... democracy works to make sure every vote is counted."

The big picture: White House Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President Anita Dunn said that the setting of Capitol Hill is important.

"Because on January 6th we saw violence geared towards subverting democratic processes there." ... Read more

The next health care wars are about costs
Axios | Caitlin Owens | 11/02/22

All signs point to a crushing surge in health care costs for patients and employers next year - and that means health care industry groups are about to brawl over who pays the price.

Why it matters: The surge could build pressure on Congress to stop ignoring the underlying costs that make care increasingly unaffordable for everyday Americans — and make billions for health care companies.

Where it stands: Even insured Americans are struggling to afford their care, the inevitable result of years of cost-shifting by employers and insurers onto patients through higher premiums, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs. ... Read more