Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

How Kevin Warsh is rewiring the Fed
Axios | Neil Irwin | 08/10/26

Federal Reserve chairman Kevin Warsh is attempting a high-wire act: He's trying to fundamentally rethink the central bank's approach to guiding the economy, while also using its standard policy toolkit to bring down stubbornly persistent inflation.

A market blowup late last month showed the perils of trying both at the same time.

The big picture: Markets sold off and the economic commentariat was sharply critical of a Warsh press conference on July 29, in which he was vague about the possibility of raising interest rates to combat inflation.

1. Some analysts saw it as evidence of a lack of commitment to quashing inflation. To Warsh allies, it was a brief bump in the road toward a more credible Fed.
2. SWarsh is trying to rewire the central bank to take greater advantage of AI to understand the economy in real time - aiming for better decision-making a couple of years down the road, while sticking to a more traditional playbook now.
...

Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, August 7, 2026 | Washington Week PBS | 08/08/26 | 24:09

Bernie's (Sanders) revolution gets a test run for 2028 in Michigan and Wisconsin
Axios | Holly Otterbein | 08/10/26

Progressive insurgents Francesca Hong and Abdul El-Sayed want to shake up the next race for the White House - a notion that will likely petrify many top Democrats.

Why it matters: They aren't running for president - they're vying for statewide office this year in presidential battlegrounds, and their campaigns are closely watched tests of the Bernie Sanders-style populism they want their party to embrace in 2028.

1. It's a question that has haunted Democrats for a decade: Is America ready for a full-on left turn in politics, like what Sanders pitched when he ran for president in 2016?
2. The prospect worries many old-guard Democrats who fear Hong and El-Sayed can't win a November general election.

Driving the news: Hong, a self-described democratic socialist running for Wisconsin governor, is leading the polls for Tuesday's primary by double digits, as the party establishment tries to stop her. She told Axios during a get-out-the-vote tour that a win in November could boost progressive presidential hopefuls in the future. ... Read more

Trump & the DOJ: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | LastWeekTonight | 08/09/26 | 28:32

When protest becomes 'TERRORISM':The Trump admin's escalating war on dissent | MSNow/Jacob Soboroff | 08/09/26 | 19:07

EXTREME HEAT Is Getting Worse, and It Will Reshape Earth FOREVER | PBS Terra | 08/10/26 | 1:19:54

GOP plans socialism telethon at midterm convention
Axios | Alex Isenstadt | 08/07/26

Republicans plan to use their first-ever midterm convention in Dallas next month to mount a sweeping, made-for-prime-time case that Democrats have become captive to their activist left, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: With President Trump's approval rating in the 30s and his war in Iran weighing on the economy, Republicans don't want the Nov. 3 midterms to be just a referendum on his presidency.

They're essentially planning a "But they're worse" campaign targeting the ascendant Democratic left and socialism.

Driving the news: Republicans will make progressive politicians and activists recurring characters throughout the Sept. 9-10 convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

GOP operatives spent months compiling footage of Democratic figures - including left-wing commentator Hasan Piker and Texas U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico - that they'll use throughout the convention to paint Democrats as outside the mainstream. ... Read more

AI Expert Urges Governments to Bring Development to "Grinding Halt" Amid Fears of Rogue Technology | DM | 08/07/26 | 25:59

Trump's quicksand
Axios | Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen | 08/07/26

Read the polls, watch economic indicators and talk to President Trump's inner circle in private, and the verdict on his second term seems clear:

Even some longtime insiders fear he's trapped by a war he shouldn't have waged, tariffs he shouldn't have levied, monuments he shouldn't be obsessed with.

Why it matters: These three topics chew up much of Trump's time and attention. All three are widely unpopular in polls.

And it's almost impossible to see the public suddenly warming to war, tariffs or more statues.

By the numbers: Trump's approval cratered to an all-time low of 32% in a Quinnipiac poll last week. Even more damning: 68% of voters said he isn't focused enough on the problems most Americans face.

Trump has squandered the GOP's most durable political advantage: A Reuters/Ipsos poll this week (and a Pew poll last month) found voters split on which party is better for the economy - after Republicans had led on the issue for nine years, back to Trump's first term. Republicans still back Trump on immigration, a new AP-NORC poll shows. ... ... ... Read more

Trump is Gaslighting America on the Iran War | Senator Chris Murphy | 08/06/26 | 19:04

Cyberattacks expose U.S. water vulnerabilities
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 08/06/26

Suspected Iran-linked cyberattacks are exposing long-standing vulnerabilities in fragmented U.S. drinking water systems facing aging infrastructure and intensifying climate threats.

Why it matters: Drinking water systems disruptions can threaten public health and essential services, while many utilities-especially smaller ones-lack the staff and resources to strengthen their defenses..

Kevin Morley, federal relations manager for the American Water Works Association (AWWA), tells Axios utilities now have to manage acute cybersecurity threats alongside chronic challenges, including climate change and infrastructure deterioration.

The big picture: There are more than 144,000 public water systems in the U.S., including about 50,000 community water systems that provide drinking water to residents year-round, according to the EPA. ... Read more

Trump's latest move should be the 'single most disturbing thing' to the world | David Cay Johnston | The Trump Report | 08/06/26 | 28:40

Climate change is fueling wildfire risk - and anxiety
Axios | Amy Harder | 08/06/26

SEATTLE - Wildfire smoke blanketing this coastal city and much of the West is bringing an ominous reminder that the reach of destructive fires is growing.

Why it matters: Climate scientists study how global warming increases the odds of wildfire. People living through it are confronting a more immediate question: where is truly safe anymore?

The big picture: Wildfires intensified by climate change are like an unforgiving spotlight sweeping across the world. No one really knows where it will stop next.

Driving the news: Right now, that spotlight is on Spokane, Washington, where a historic wildfire has destroyed neighborhoods and remains uncontrolled. Fires are also burning in the Bordeaux region in France, outside Madrid and in British Columbia. ... Read more

Trump deportations cost taxpayers $2,358 each
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Axios | Josephine Walker | 08/06/26

American taxpayers would pay about $2,358 each for President Trump's mass deportation push, according to a new calculator tool from the Economic Policy Institute.

Why it matters: The estimate fuels debate over whether billions of federal dollars devoted to deportations could instead fund other public priorities such as food assistance, health care or housing.

By the numbers: EPI estimates the $268.9 billion projected for deportations could alternatively fund more than 118 million additional SNAP recipients over the remaining 2.5 years of the Trump administration, based on National Priorities Project data.

Alternatively, nearly 12 million additional people could receive Medicaid.

Or more than 9.7 million households could gain access to low-cost public housing.

"I don't think people realize how much money is being spent on these mass deportations," Gordon Lafer, a professor at the University of Oregon's Labor Education and Research Center and research associate at EPI, tells Axios. ... Read more

The real meaning of Abdul El-Sayed's victory in Michigan
TheGuardian | Robert Reich | 08/06/26

With the victory of progressive Abdul El-Sayed over representative Haley Stevens in Michigan's Democratic primary, prepare yourself to hear enormous quantities of bullshit about the Democratic party now being "taken over" by the "left" or by "democratic socialists".

Or as the reliably establishment New York Times put it: "Can an insurgent candidate, with unabashedly liberal positions, win a general election in a moderate state?"

Oh, p-l-e-a-s-e.

Michigan Democrats didn't choose El-Sayed because he's "unabashedly liberal". Or because he's a democratic socialist (in fact, he's not).

They chose him because he's a fighter - at a time when America needs fighters willing to stand up to the worst tyrant who has ever occupied the Oval Office.

Corporate Democrats - such as Haley Stevens, along with Rahm Emanuel, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries - aren't up to the task because they won't bite the corporate hands that feed them campaign money. They won't criticize the billionaire class. They refuse to talk about how big money has corrupted America. ... Read more

Michigan's left flexes its primary muscle
Axios | Andrew Pantazi | 08/05/26

Michigan progressives woke up Wednesday after a banner night: Abdul El-Sayed leads the uncalled Democratic Senate primary, Will Lawrence won a battleground House nomination, and Donavan McKinney threatens to oust Rep. Shri Thanedar.

Of the three Democratic primaries, only Lawrence's victory has been called.

Why it matters: A sweep would signal the left's growing strength in a key swing state.

The state's Democratic Socialists of America chapters, the Working Families Party and the United Auto Workers all flexed their muscles Tuesday up and down the ballot.

State of play: El-Sayed, a former Wayne County health director, clung to a narrow lead over four-term Rep. Haley Stevens - 48.5%-47.5% with 96% of the vote counted. The winner will face Republican Mike Rogers for Michigan's open Senate seat, a must-win for Democrats hoping to gain Senate control. ... Read more

Investors can't stop believing
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Axios | Matt Phillips | 08/05/26

Who cares about war, oil prices, interest rates or an AI bubble? Investors apparently do not - for now at least - sending stocks back to record highs.

Why it matters: High stock prices are critical to keeping funds flowing to the AI buildout.

A significant erosion of investors' confidence in stocks would be a big risk to the AI flywheel of financial flows, capital expenditures and industrial activity driving the U.S. economy.

Catch up quick: Some analysts and investors had worried that the markets were beginning to deflate, as the S&P 500 failed to advance in June or July. ... Read more

Is America prepared for biological war? | PBS NewsHour | 08/04/26 | 28:09

China races to own the industries of the future
Axios | Mike Allen | 08/03/26

America has been napping or distracted by trivialities while China is racing toward the future, in part by taking advantage of President Trump's trade, immigration and budget policies.

That's the eye-opening reality that Evan Osnos unfurls in a 12-page piece for The New Yorker, "The Future, Made in China."

Why it matters: China could beat the U.S. to the future on a host of fronts, including engineering a cure for cancer.

What it says: "For China, America's retreat comes just as decades of state investment, industrial policy, and diplomatic planning are paying off," Osnos writes.

An American executive told him: "People in Washington are worried that biotech is the next E.V.s ... We've scared all of this f*cking talent back to China. If you look at the guys who are doing this, they used to work for Western pharma giants, or they were running a top university department somewhere." ... ... ... Read more

Trump biographer David Cay Johnston: "Donald Trump is the greatest conman ever--nothing comes close" | The Dean Obeidallah Show | 08/01/26 | 29:18

Cyclospora outbreak causes first two deaths
Axios | Herb Scribner | 08/04/26

Two people in Michigan have died in connection with the multistate cyclosporiasis outbreak, Michigan health officials said Monday, marking the first known deaths linked to the foodborne illness.

Why it matters: Weeks into the national crisis that's sickened thousands of people, federal authorities still don't know for certain where it's coming from or why.

Driving the news: Medical records show that the individuals who died "had significant underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by cyclosporiasis and dehydration," Michigan's Health and Human Services Department said Monday.

Generally, health experts don't consider cyclosporiasis to be life-threatening.

Catch up quick: Cyclospora cases have steadily grown since late June, when an outbreak was reported in Michigan. ... Read more

Monumental Waste? Democrats GRILL Donald Trump's Costly Plans | The Financial Express | 08/03/26 | 27:39

The grid's climate stress test
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 07/31/26

A series of dangerous heat waves this summer - including one that has left 17 states under an emergency federal order - are putting the electric grid under an intense real-world stress test.

Why it matters: Successive summer heat waves are forcing utilities to rethink how they prepare the grid for longer and more frequent periods of extreme stress.

They're raising questions about whether the electric grid can keep pace with surging demand from both climate change and the AI-driven electricity boom.

State of play: Heat waves create a double challenge by increasing electricity demand for air-conditioning while reducing the efficiency of some power plants. ... Read more

Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, July 31, 2026 | Washington Week PBS | 07/31/26 | 26:46

Rump's final act begins
Axios | Jim VandeHei | 08/02/26

President Trump doesn't much care if Republicans lose the House and/or the Senate in the midterms this fall.

Yes, he'd prefer a big win, but he seems indifferent to the election and the possibility of endless Democratic investigations of his family, wealth and policies, his closest advisers tell us.

A big reason: Trump knows he'll emerge just as strong, or even stronger, heading into his final two years, at least among Republicans.

Why it matters: Trump will enjoy a more pro-Trump Republican Congress, win or lose; gleefully play '28 kingmaker and further test the boundaries of presidential power beyond legislating, his preferred method anyway. He'll use pardons to protect his people, the advisers say. ... Read more

Best Economic System? AI debates (Capitalist vs Socialist) | Clarified Mind | 2025 | 34:02

A revolution is unfolding, and voters are furious | CNN/Fareed's Take | Clarified Mind | 07/29/26 | 10:54

Capital One says it closed Trump Organization's accounts after anti-money-laundering review
TheGuardian | Reuters | 08/01/26

Capital One Financial hit back on Friday against a lawsuit over its decision to close the Trump Organization's bank accounts years ago, stating that it did so after a review by anti-money-laundering experts.

Capital One has never accused the Trump Organization of money laundering. But Friday's filing argues that "documents and Plaintiffs' own Plaintiffs' accounts for anti-money laundering ('AML') reasons.

"The closures were the result of months of analysis and a careful review by Capital One's AML team in accordance with bank policies and regulatory guidance."

Capital One gave notice of its plans to close more than 300 Trump-affiliated bank accounts in March 2021. ... Read more

America gripped by election fears as November nears
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magazine | author | date

Americans fear November's midterms could be stolen or otherwise compromised, with most worried about political pressure to change results or officials mishandling ballots, new Gallup polling finds.

Why it matters: President Trump has cast the American election system as under siege and vulnerable with unfounded claims about his 2020 loss. Meanwhile, his critics warn his push to reshape the ways Americans vote are undermining elections.

By the numbers: Republicans (56%) and Democrats (77%) alike fear politicians will pressure election officials to change the outcomes of races.

Nearly eight in 10 also worry about wealthy people or organizations making large, anonymous political donations (78%) or about gerrymandering (77%), as redistricting has reshaped the upcoming midterm elections. ... Read more

Musk plans massive push for GOP in midterms
Axios | Alex Isenstadt | 07/30/26

Tech billionaire Elon Musk is jumping into the midterms with a huge investment in a plan to boost Republican voter turnout, Axios has learned.

Driving the news: Musk is resuscitating his dormant super PAC, America PAC, which spent more than $260 million to help get President Trump elected in 2024.

America PAC will focus on door-knocking, digital advertising and direct mail aimed at turning out the conservative base, including voters who typically are less inclined to cast ballots in a non-presidential election year, sources with knowledge of the plans tell Axios.

Musk's representatives declined to specify exactly how much he'd spend. But given what he donated in 2024, the number is expected to be high.

Zoom in: Musk's pro-Trump donations through America PAC in 2024 made him the largest individual political donor in a single election cycle in U.S. history. ... Read more

The Economics of Retiring in America | Gray Economy | 07/21/26 | 11:47

"What's Coming Is BIGGER Than A Recession..." - Catherine Austin | LifeWorthLiving | 07/29/26 | 10:33

Iran launches missiles at U.S. base for first time since Trump paused strikes
Axios | Barak Ravid | 07/29/26

Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles toward a U.S. military base in Jordan on Tuesday in what U.S. Central Command described as an "attempted surprise attack."

All of the missiles were intercepted, CENTCOM said in a statement.

Why it matters: This marks Iran's first ballistic missile attack against a U.S. base in the region since President Trump paused strikes against Iran on Friday to give diplomacy another chance.

The attack threatens to unravel the fragile pause and could force Trump to decide whether to resume military action. ... Read more

Thune's next nightmare
Axios | Stef W. Kight | 07/29/26

Senate Majority Leader John Thune has one of the toughest jobs in Washington. It could get even harder next year.

Why it matters: Thune is one of the few Republicans in Washington who's managed to say "no" to President Trump and still keep his job. But the Senate leader could enter the next Congress with diminished power, leading a conference whose loyalty increasingly lies with Trump.

1. Republican control of Congress could be weakened, if not lost.
2. The Senate's MAGA flank is poised to grow.
3. And Trump - who has been relatively restrained in his criticism of Thune even as his demands to pass the SAVE America Act and kill the filibuster remain unmet - will have nothing to lose in the last two years of his presidency.
... Read more
The Economics of Aging Alone in America
The Economics of Aging Alone in America | Gray Economy | 07/28/26 | 14:06
The Economics of Retiring Broke
The Economics of Retiring Broke | Gray Economy | 07/28/26 | 13:27

America Had No Social Security Until 1935
America Had No Social Security Until 1935 - How Did the Elderly Survive? | The Cold Market and America's Glory WW2 | 07/28/26 | 51:30

Behind the Curtain: The 6 stages of political surrender
Axios | Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen | 07/28/26

Republicans didn't decide to become President Trump's party. They surrendered to him, one stage at a time, over a decade, in plain sight.

Democrats swear that socialism's growing grip on their party is different, and can be contained. The early signals suggest otherwise.

Why it matters: Party transformations follow a predictable six-stage evolution - recoil, squint, rationalize, submit, amplify, and purge. Each stage has language you can hear long before you see it in the votes. Republicans just finished the full cycle. Democrats might be starting it.

A diminished Bibi arrives for his moment with Trump
Axios | Barak Ravid | 07/28/26

Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with Donald Trump in the Oval Office Tuesday for the eighth time since the president returned to office. But the Israeli prime minister arrives at the White House weaker and less influential than the previous seven times.

Why it matters: On Feb. 28, Trump and Netanyahu went to war together and it looked like there was no daylight between them. But exactly five months later, their interests have diverged more than ever - and bad blood and frustration have deepened as they've grown suspicious of each other's intentions.

Driving the news: Netanyahu's visit comes several days after Trump paused U.S. strikes in Iran and announced his envoys are trying - again - to negotiate a deal with the Iranian regime.

Last Friday, Netanyahu found himself holding marathon talks with his cabinet about the war — while largely in the dark about Trump's thinking and plans. ... Read more

These 5 AI risks have the highest potential for catastrophe
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Axios | Herb Scribner | 07/27/26

There is a one-in-five chance of AI gaining dangerous weapons capabilities or causing mass harm that could kill millions in the next five years, per global experts surveyed for a recent MIT study.

Why it matters: The findings add to the growing debate over AI safety and cybersecurity as governments and companies race to deploy increasingly capable systems.

Last week's news of an OpenAI model breaking containment and breaching the AI platform Hugging Face only adds to the debate about what can go wrong.

Driving the news: Researchers from MIT and the University of Queensland in Australia asked 272 international experts to evaluate 24 different risks based on their likelihood and severity between 2025 and 2030.

A SUPER El Nino Triggered History's DEADLIEST Disaster. THIS One Might Be Worse. | PBS Terra | 07/28/26 | 11:26

Nobody Is Ready For This Weather Shift... | Weather Frontier | 07/26/26 | 18:35

Trump & Crypto: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | John Oliver | 07/26/26 | 26:32

Trump's former top food official: Cyclospora outbreak 'approaching catastrophic' level
Politico | Marcia Brown | 07/24/26

President Donald Trump's former top food safety official is calling for an independent review of the federal government's response to a cyclospora outbreak that has sickened thousands of people this summer.

"This one deserves a lot of questions, and it is starting to approach a catastrophic level in terms of how mismanaged it's been on multiple fronts," said Frank Yiannas, who served as the Food and Drug Administration's deputy commissioner for food policy and response during both Trump and former President Joe Biden's administration from 2018 to 2023.

He pointed to the outbreak's magnitude, the widespread consumer confusion and the “lack of strong federal leadership" as well as what he described as uncoordinated messaging from federal authorities.

"My point is not to find fault, but to find facts on how we can further strengthen the system," Yiannas told POLITICO. "It's not being critical of any particular agency, but it is being critical of the system. In some respects, I think there’s been some dismantling of the system." ... Read more

Washington Week with The Atlantic full episode, July 24, 2026 | Washington Week PBS | 07/25/26 | 26:46

Top U.S. military commander in Middle East advised halting Hormuz bombing
Axios | Barak Ravid | 07/27/26

The top U.S. military commander in the Middle East, Adm. Brad Cooper, recommended stopping the bombing campaign around the Strait of Hormuz because it has reached the limit of its effectiveness, according to two sources with knowledge of his position.

Why it matters: The recommendation by Cooper, the commander of the U.S. Military Central Command (CENTCOM), together with other advisers impacted President Trump's decision on Friday to pause U.S. strikes against Iran, the sources said.

It was an acknowledgement by both military and civilian advisers to the president that there are limits to what can be accomplished through military action, and specifically an air power campaign. ... ... ... Read more

Brooks and Marcus on the Iran conflict becoming a 'forever war' | PBS Newshour | 07/25/26 | 10:13