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Wednesday March 27, 2024

Extreme heat summit to urge leaders to act on threat from rising temperatures
TheGuardian | Jonathan Watts | 03/27/24

Two of the world's biggest aid agencies will host an inaugural global summit on extreme heat on Thursday as directors warn that the climate crisis is dramatically increasing the probability of a mass-fatality heat disaster.

The conference will highlight some of the pioneering work being done, from tree-planting projects to the development of reflective roof coverings that reduce indoor temperatures.

After last year's record-shattering temperatures, when 3.8 billion people - half the world's population - sweltered in extreme heat for at least one day, the organisers hope the event will prompt governments to prepare for a "silent killer" that rarely gets the attention it deserves when compared with hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes. ... Read more

Jordan Klepper on Trump's Bible Grift and GOP Reaction to Baltimore Bridge Collapse
Jordan Klepper on Trump's Bible Grift and GOP Reaction to Baltimore Bridge Collapse | The Daily Show | 03/26/24 | 10:48
Student Loans: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Student Loans: Last Week Tonight | John Oliver | 03/21/24 | 30:01

Truth Social faces harsh reality as a public company
Axios | Sara Fischer | 03/27/24

Truth Social - the Trump-owned social media platform that started trading yesterday - currently has far fewer users and less income than any social network that has gone public before.

Why it matters: While the app does sell some ads, its business is practically non-existent.

Truth Social earned $3.4 million in revenue for the first nine months of 2023 and it lost around $49 million.

By comparison, Facebook (now Meta) earned $3.71 billion in revenue the year before it went public and was profitable. ... Read more

Top U.S. & World Headlines - March 27, 2024 | 03/27/24 | 9:18
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Wednesday, March 27 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. Mifepristone at SCOTUS: Justices 'Skeptical" of Plaintiffs, Unlikely to Limit Pill's Availability
  3. Eva Burch, Lawmaker & Former Nurse, Shares Abortion Story in AZ Senate: "I Knew My Perspective Was Unique"
  4. Baltimore Bridge Collapse Kills 6 Immigrant Workers, Highlighting Crucial Role in Dangerous Jobs
  5. "Stop Texas, Stop the Governor": Greg Abbott Deploys Troops to Border in Illegal Immigration Crackdown
Judge takes SERIOUS action against Trump in court | btc | 03/27/24 | 12:17
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Tuesday March 26, 2024

In photos: Baltimore bridge collapses after cargo ship collision
Axios | Ivana Saric | 03/26/24

First responders are combing the water for survivors after a container ship collision caused a major bridge in Baltimore to collapse Tuesday morning.

The big picture: Several vehicles were on the Francis Scott Key bridge when it was struck at about 1:30 am ET. Search and rescue efforts are currently underway for "upwards of seven people," Baltimore fire chief James Wallace told reporters. ... Read more

"MAN-MADE HELL ON EARTH": A CANADIAN DOCTOR ON HIS MEDICAL MISSION TO GAZA
The Intercept | Jeremy Scahil | 03/23/24

"I saw scenes that were horrific and I never want to see again," said Yasser Khan, a surgeon from Toronto.

THROUGHOUT THE PAST five and a half months, Israel has waged a full-spectrum war against the civilian population of the Gaza Strip. The United States and other Western nations have supplied not only the weapons for this war of annihilation against the Palestinians, but also key political and diplomatic support.

The results of the actions of this coalition of the killing have been devastating. Conservative estimates hold that more than 31,000 Palestinians have been killed, including 13,000 children. More than 8,000 people remain missing, many of them believed to have died in the rubble of buildings destroyed in Israeli attacks. Famine conditions are now present in large swaths of the Gaza Strip. The fact that the International Court of Justice has found grounds to investigate Israel for plausible acts of genocide in Gaza has not deterred the U.S. and its allies from continuing to facilitate Israel's war. ... Read more

Rachel Maddow Highlights: March 25
Watch Rachel Maddow Highlights: March 25 | MSNBC | 03/26/24 | 20:30

With TikTok creator program, AI-sped misinformation pays
Axios | Megan Morrone | 03/26/24

TikTok's cash-for-creators program could speed the spread of spammy misinformation on the platform as video makers lean on AI to hook viewers with outlandish images, conspiracy theories and hokum.

Why it matters: The crazier the video, the higher the engagement - and now, more engagement directly translates to more dollars. ... Read more

Top U.S. & World Headlines - March 26, 2024 | 03/26/24 | 10:31
Ex-U.N. Official Craig Mokhiber: Israel Must Be Held Accountable for Violating Ceasefire Resolution | DM | 03/26/24 | 20:39
Donald Trump "Finally Being Held to Account" After Half-Century of Criminality | DM | 03/26/24 | 9:56
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Tuesday, March 26 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. Assange Extradition Delayed: British MP Jeremy Corbyn on U.K. Court Seeking More Assurances from U.S.
  3. Jeremy Corbyn Applauds U.N. Ceasefire Resolution, Says World Must Prevent "Another Nakba"
  4. Ex-U.N. Official Craig Mokhiber: Israel Must Be Held Accountable for Violating Ceasefire Resolution
  5. David Cay Johnston: Donald Trump "Finally Being Held to Account" After Half-Century of Criminality
Trump's New York trial gets hit with MAJOR update | btc | 03/26/24 | 12:10
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Monday March 25, 2024

UN Security Council passes Gaza ceasefire resolution, U.S. doesn't veto
Axios | Barak Ravid | 03/25/24

The UN Security Council passed on Monday morning a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during the month of Ramadan and calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

Why it matters: This is the first resolution demanding a ceasefire to pass at the council after four previous failures. The U.S. abstained rather than using its veto. All other members voted in favor.

Between the lines: The most recent failure was on Friday, when China and Russia vetoed a U.S. proposal. The dispute was over the U.S. insistence on linking the ceasefire call to a hostage deal and condemnation of Hamas.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a visit by his senior advisers to the White House later this week to protest the U.S. decision not to block the resolution, which he claimed did not condition the ceasefire call on the release of hostages. ... Read more

Jared Kushner under fire for calling Gaza waterfront property 'valuable'
It's happening again: Greene moves to force vote on ousting speaker

Putin blames radical Islamists for Moscow concert hall attack but claims it is part of Ukraine's attacks on Russia
TheGuardian | Gloria Oladipo | 03/25/24

Putin added that the Moscow concert hall attack fits into a larger trend of intimidation from Ukraine, Reuters reported.

Here are more of Putin's remarks: This atrocity may be just a link in a whole series of attempts by those who have been at war with our country since 2014 by the hands of the neo-Nazi Kyiv regime ... ... Read more

Also on Monday, Trump faces a crucial deadline to post an appeal bond in his New York civil fraud case.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the suit, could begin the process of seizing Trump's assets on Monday if he fails to secure and post the bond.

Trump arrives for key hearing in New York hush money case
Axios | Erin Doherty | 03/25/24

Former President Trump arrived Monday at a Manhattan courthouse for a key hearing in his New York hush money case.

Why it matters: Judge Juan Merchan may determine whether to keep April 15 as the trial's tentative start date or push the proceeding back further. It's expected to be the first of Trump's four criminal cases to go to trial.

Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in the case, which stems from a 2016 payment he allegedly made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. ... Read more

Top U.S. & World Headlines - March 25, 2024 | 03/25/24 | 13:30
ISIS-K Claims Credit After 137 Killed in Moscow Concert Attack; Russia Tries to Blame Ukraine | DM | 03/25/24 | 24:55
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Monday, March 26 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. ISIS-K Claims Credit After 137 Killed in Moscow Concert Attack; Russia Tries to Blame Ukraine
  3. As Israel Blocks More U.N. Aid, Gaza Is on the Brink of "Most Intense Famine" Since WW2
  4. World Ignores Sudan Hunger Crisis; 230,000 Children and Mothers Could Die in Coming Months
Court finally issues ruling on Trump's request to delay bond | btc | 03/25/24 | 6:00
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Friday March 22, 2024

Screens are poisoning kids' minds
Axios | Erica Pandey | 03/22/24

This is the indisputable and alarming trend among American children, based on the latest polling and deep research by an NYU professor in a book out next week.

The big picture: The pandemic is often cited as a driver of the teen mental health crisis, but it was brewing long before then. A growing body of research links the acceleration of the crisis to one of this century's biggest events: the arrival of the smartphone.

Rates of depression and anxiety among U.S. adolescents were "fairly stable in the 2000s" but "rose by more than 50% in many studies from 2010 to 2019," Haidt writes in The Atlantic.

The suicide rate for kids between the ages of 10 and 14 tripled between 2007 and 2021, according to the CDC.

The share of U.S. high school girls who seriously considered attempting suicide jumped from 19% in 2011 to 30% in 2021, per the CDC. The share of boys who considered suicide rose from 13% to 14%. ... Read more

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt, Sean Pratt

After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on most measures. Why?

In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time. He then investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults. Haidt shows how the "play-based childhood" began to decline in the 1980s, and how it was finally wiped out by the arrival of the "phone-based childhood" in the early 2010s. He presents more than a dozen mechanisms by which this "great rewiring of childhood" has interfered with children's social and neurological development, covering everything from sleep deprivation to attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, social comparison, and perfectionism. He explains why social media damages girls more than boys and why boys have been withdrawing from the real world into the virtual world, with disastrous consequences for themselves, their families, and their societies.

Trump world allies sentenced to prison
Axios | Ivana Saric | 03/22/24

Even as former President Trump wades through a complex web of legal woes to avoid prison, some of his allies and associates are already facing that fate.

The big picture: A striking number of people closely associated with the former president have been sentenced to prison for an array of crimes that include contempt of Congress and campaign finance violations.

The latest: Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg pleaded guilty to perjury charges earlier this month, becoming the latest member of the Trump world to face legal consequences. ... Read more

Top U.S. & World Headlines - March 22, 2024 | 03/22/24 | 10:54
U.S. Said It Was Calling for a Gaza Ceasefire, But Its U.N. Resolution Didn't: Phyllis Bennis | DM | 03/22/24 | 15:39
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Friday, March 22 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. U.S. Said It Was Calling for a Gaza Ceasefire, But Its U.N. Resolution Didn't Say That: Phyllis Bennis
  3. "Children Are Dying": Doctor Just Back from Gaza Describes Severe Malnutrition, Preventable Infections
  4. Six White Mississippi "Goon Squad" Cops Get Lengthy Prison Sentences for Torturing Black Men
Trump's RNC suddenly SURGES into spotlight with stunning move | btc | 03/21/24 | 11:43
Shocking: Is Bernie Sanders Right About American Foreign Policy? | Thom Hartmann | 03/21/24 | 3:41
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Thursday March 21, 2024

Blinken: U.S. submitted draft resolution to UN calling for Gaza ceasefire
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 03/21/24

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday the U.S. has submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that calls "for an immediate ceasefire" in Gaza that's "tied to the release" of hostages held by Hamas.

Why it matters: Both Israel and Hamas are facing pressure to reach a deal to free the hostages and start a truce in Gaza, where over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, per Axios' Barak Ravid, who noted this week that the first detailed negotiations in months were underway.

Now Blinken has said in an interview with Al-Hadath in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, that an agreement was "getting closer" and "the gaps are narrowing," according to a transcript released by the State Department Wednesday. "I think an agreement is very much possible," he added.

The big picture: Blinken said during the interview that the Biden administration was "pressing for an immediate ceasefire" tied to freeing the hostages. ... Read more

Just 100 companies responsible for 71% of global emissions, study says

Fossil fuel firms could be tried in US for homicide over climate-related deaths, experts say
The Guardian | author | date

Each year, extreme temperatures take 5 million lives, while 400,000 people die from climate-related hunger and disease and scores perish in floods and wildfires.

Now, researchers are promoting a new legal theory that says fossil fuel companies - which, data show, are the leading contributors to planet-heating pollution - could be tried for homicide for climate-related deaths.

The radical idea, first proposed last year by consumer advocacy non-profit Public Citizen, may sound far-fetched, but it's gaining interest from experts and public officials. ... Read more

Carbon-Majors-Report-2017.pdf

Groundbreaking 'Carbon Majors' research finds 100 active fossil fuel producers including ExxonMobil, Shell, BHP Billiton and Gazprom are linked to 71% of industrial greenhouse gas emissions since 1988.






  1. Carbon Majors Database is the most comprehensive dataset of historic company greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions ever compiled;
  2. 100 active fossil fuel producers are linked to 71% of global industrial greenhouse gases (GHGs) since 1988, the year in which human-induced climate change was officially recognized through the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC);
  3. Almost a third (32%) of historic emissions come from publicly listed investor-owned companies, 59% from state-owned companies, and 9% from private investment;
  4. Over half of global industrial emissions since 1988 can be traced to just 25 corporate and state producers;
  5. Fossil fuel companies and their products have released more emissions in the last 28 years than in the 237 years prior to 1988;
  6. Over half (52%) of all global industrial GHGs emitted since the start of the industrial revolution in 1751, have been traced to these 100 fossil fuel producers;
  7. Low carbon tipping point in reach if investors and carbon majors take urgent climate action.
https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2017/jul/10/100-fossil-fuel-companies-investors-responsible-71-global-emissions-cdp-study-climate-change
Top U.S. & World Headlines - March 21, 2024 | 03/21/24 | 11:52
"Humanitarian Violence" in Gaza: Architect Eyal Weizman on Mapping Israel's "Genocidal Campaign" | DM | 03/21/24 | 25:14
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Thursday, March 21 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. British Surgeon Describes Children Suffering "Appalling Injuries" in Gaza, Demands Immediate Ceasefire
  3. "Humanitarian Violence" in Gaza: Architect Eyal Weizman on Mapping Israel's "Genocidal Campaign"
How Trump is Following Hitler's Playbook | Robert Reich | 03/19/24 | 5:48
MUST-SEE: Jamie Raskin drops BOMB on Republicans | btc | 03/21/24 | 8:04
Jim Jordan stumbles into BRUTAL trap at public hearing | btc | 03/21/24 | 8:05
The1a.org

How DOJ paved the way for the NAR (National Association of Realtors) home-selling settlement
Axios | Emily Peck | 03/21/24

For decades, the Department of Justice pushed for more competition in the real estate market - now the agency might be getting its way.

Why it matters: Pressure from the DOJ's antitrust division likely played a role in getting to the game-changing class action settlement announced by the National Association of Realtors last Friday.

Between the lines: "We've been in their crosshairs for as long as I've been involved at the National Association of Realtors," NAR president Kevin Sears, a licensed Realtor for 20+ years, told hundreds in the industry at a conference in February. ... Read more


Wednesday March 20, 2024

There's a big wealth gap between union and nonunion workers
Axios | Emily Peck | 03/20/24

There's a massive wealth gap between workers in unions and nonunionized workers, across education levels, finds a new analysis from the liberal think tank Center for American Progress shared first with Axios.

Why it matters: Typically, unionized workers earn about 10%-20% more than their nonunion peers, but these wealth gaps are far wider, an indication that the benefits of union membership accrue to workers over time.

The big picture: College is still one of the best paths to accumulating wealth, this and other data show. But CAP's numbers point to an alternative for those who might not want to spend the time or money on a college education: union membership. ... Read more

Factchecking Trump's 'bloodbath' speech and his mounting legal fees
Factchecking Trump's 'bloodbath' speech and his mounting legal fees | Planet America | 03/20/24 | 29:50
"Any Jewish person that votes for Democrates hates their religion. They hate eveything about Israel."
The Increasing Reality of War in Space
The Increasing Reality of War in Space | Wendover Productions | 03/06/24 | 28:29
Top U.S. & World Headlines - March 20, 2024 | 03/20/24 | 12:35
Report from Rafah: Palestinian Poet Mohammed Abu Lebda on Daily Hardships Amid Israel's War | DM | 03/18/24 | 20:03
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Wednesday, March 20 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. Sen. Van Hollen: Biden Must Halt Offensive Arms to Israel If Restrictions on Gaza Aid Are Not Lifted
  3. Biden's Sanctions Against Israeli Settlers Ignores State’s Role in West Bank Violence: Shane Bauer
Trump SNAPS, LOSES IT in unhinged meltdown | btc | 03/20/24 | 4:40
The1a.org

Tuesday March 19, 2024

The U.S. crime rate is still dropping, FBI data shows
NBC/Apple News | Ken Dilanian | 03/19/24

Why does the public think it's going up? "There is definitely more disorder in cities than there was five years ago," said one expert. "People confuse disorder and crime."

New FBI data confirms previous indications that crime in the U.S. declined significantly in 2023, continuing a post-pandemic trend and belying widespread perceptions that crime is rising.

The new fourth-quarter numbers showed a 13% decline in murder in 2023 from 2022, a 6% decline in reported violent crime and a 4% decline in reported property crime. That’s based on data from around 13,000 law enforcement agencies, policing about 82% of the U.S. population, that provided the FBI with data through December.

"It suggests that when we get the final data in October, we will have seen likely the largest one-year decline in murder that has ever been recorded,"" said Jeff Asher, a former CIA analyst who now studies crime trends. ... Read more: Ken Dilanian | NBC NEWS | 03/19/24

Gaza
32,000 people killed
74,000 people wounded
?????? people starved

Elon Musk's MAGA alliance
Axios | Zachary Basu | 03/19/24

In public and in private, Elon Musk is increasingly treating the prospect of President Biden's re-election as an urgent - even existential - threat to America.

Why it matters: Musk hasn't endorsed former President Trump. But the billionaire X owner has made no secret of his disdain for Biden's policies, leveraging his massive online platform to denigrate Democrats and promote Trump's messaging on the 2024 election's top issues.

Musk's remarkable political evolution had begun at least by 2022, when the Tesla CEO revealed he had voted Republican for the first time. ... Read more

Watch Rachel Maddow Highlights: March 18
Watch Rachel Maddow Highlights: March 18 | MSNBC | 03/18/24 | 20:23
Top U.S. & World Headlines - March 19, 2024 | 03/19/24 | 12:17
Israel's Ultimate Goal Is Ethnic Cleansing: Dr. Mustafa Barghouti on Growing Famine, Al-Shifa Attack | DM | 03/19/24 | 19:05
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Tuesday, March 19 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. Dr. Mustafa Barghouti on Israel's Latest Al-Shifa Raid, Rafah Ground Invasion & More
  3. Dan Foote, Who Resigned as Biden's Haiti Envoy, Says U.S. & Others Must Stop Meddling in Haitian Affairs
  4. "unseen": Filmmaker Set Hernandez on Amplifying Undocumented & Disabled Voices
The1a.org

Monday March 18, 2024

Pandemic pact crunch time
Axios | Alison Snyder | 03/18/24

An international draft treaty aimed at bolstering readiness for the next pandemic enters a final round of scheduled negotiations Monday, with key disagreements remaining about how much knowledge and product drugmakers must share with the world.

Why it matters: COVID-19 laid bare global health inequities - and exacerbated them, as low- and middle-income countries received vaccines far later than other countries despite global sharing efforts hatched during the crisis.

That led to hundreds of thousands of deaths that could have been averted, and the inequity reverberated around the hyperconnected planet as variants arose and spread through an uneven patchwork of vaccine access.

An estimated one-quarter of the world's population still hasn't received a single dose of COVID vaccine. ... Read more

A whopping 70 percent of the country rejects Trump's claim that presidents should be immune from prosecution for alleged crimes they committed while in office.
Half of Americans believe Trump is guilty of falsifying business records
Reddit's Reach
According to data from a Statista Consumer Insights survey conducted in 2023, around 16 percent of regular U.S. social media users say that they frequently use Reddit. Of the platforms selected for this chart, this is most comparable to the user base of LinkedIn in the U.S.. Facebook is still by far the most popular social media platform, followed by YouTube and Instagram.
Top U.S. & World Headlines - March 18, 2024 | 03/18/24 | 14:38
Report from Rafah: Palestinian Poet Mohammed Abu Lebda on Daily Hardships Amid Israel's War | DM | 03/18/24 | 20:03
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Monday, March 18 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. "A Catastrophe That Cannot Be Described": Palestinian Poet in Rafah on Daily Hardships Amid Israel's War
  3. Rachel Corrie: Parents & Friend Remember U.S. Activist Crushed by Israeli Bulldozer in Rafah in 2003
Trump dealt brutal blow by his OWN party | btc | 03/18/24 | 12:51
Far Right Promises Death Penalty for Non-Christians | Thom Hartmann | 03/18/24 | 2:59
The1a.org

Friday March 15, 2024

Georgia case against Trump can continue if DA or special prosecutor leave: judge
Axios | April Rubin,Jacob Knutson | 03/15/24

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her office can remain on Georgia's 2020 election interference case against former President Trump if the special prosecutor Willis hired steps aside, a judge ruled on Friday.

Why it matters: The ruling allows the case to conditionally go forward and is a win for Willis, who defense lawyers accused of improperly benefiting from her romantic relationship with the special prosecutor, Nathan Wade.

Judge Scott McAfee said he found the "appearance of impropriety" but ruled that the relationship brought no actual conflict on interest and denied the defendants' claims and requests. ... Read more

The GOP presidential frontrunner faces 91 criminal counts in four different jurisdictions.
Five Biggest Border Lies Debunked
Five Biggest Border Lies Debunked | Robert Reich | 02/18/24 | 3:05
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins | Book Summary | Bestbookbits | 11/18/21 | 29:21
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man (3rd Edition) by John Perkins

How do we stop the unrelenting evolution of the economic hit man strategy and China's takeover?

The riveting third edition of this New York Times bestseller blows the whistle on China's economic hit man (EHM) strategy, exposes corruption on an international scale, and offers much-needed solutions for curing the degenerative Death Economy. In this shocking expose, former EHM John Perkins gives an insider view into the corrupt system that cheats and strong-arms countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars and ultimately causes staggering income inequality and ecological devastation.

EHMs are highly paid professionals who use development loans to saddle countries with huge debts and force them to serve US interests. Now, a new EHM wave is infecting the world, and at the peak of the devastation sits China, a newly dominant economic power, with its own insidious version of the US EHM blueprint. Twelve explosive new chapters detail the allure, exploitation, and wreckage of China's EHM strategy in Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

If allowed to continue its rampage, the EHM strategy-whether executed by the United States or China-will destroy life as we know it. However, all is not lost. Perkins offers a plan for transforming this system that places profits above all into a Life Economy that restores the earth. He inspires listeners to take actions toward a new era of global cooperation that will end the United States's and China's EHM strategies for good.
Is lab-grown meat a good source of protein?
It's still too early to say, both in terms of its impact on the planet and on consumers. The USDA has approved the sale of chicken made from animal cells, but the product is currently not available for purchase. (Lab-grown beef, pork, or any other animal product will have to go through their own regulatory processes.)

"There have been hundreds of analyses of the environmental impacts of different livestock, poultry and seafood systems," says Blackstone. "There have been six about cell-cultivated meat."
Top U.S. & World Headlines - March 15, 2024 | 03/15/24 | 9:52
"Anti-Zionism Is Not Antisemitism": Palestinian Prof on Her Suspension from Hebrew University | DM | 03/15/24 | 17:16
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Friday, March 15 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. "Island of Access": VP Harris Visits MN Abortion Clinic in Historic First Amid Growing Restrictions
  3. "Anti-Zionism Is Not Antisemitism": Palestinian Prof. Shalhoub-Kevorkian on Hebrew Univ. Suspension
  4. "Towers of Ivory and Steel": Jewish Scholar Says Israeli Universities Deny Palestinian Freedom
Bombshell update in Trump's criminal trial in Georgia | btc | 03/15/24 | 13:21
The1a.org

Thursday March 14, 2024

SpaceX's Starship set for third and most ambitious test flight
Axios | Jacob Knutson | 03/14/24

SpaceX is scheduled to test fly its massive Starship spacecraft for a third time on Thursday, hoping to demonstrate technologies critical for any future manned missions to the moon or beyond.

Why it matters: The rocket, which is essential for NASA's Artemis program, is the largest ever built but has yet to complete a full test flight and has reached space only once.

The Starship's second test flight last year ended abruptly without meeting the stated goals for the test.

The vehicle's huge lower-stage booster exploded after a successful separation from the upper-stage spacecraft portion. The upper stage then exploded after reaching an altitude of about 90 miles.

The first test flight earlier in 2023 ended with another explosion, though that was after the rocket punched a crater through the launchpad and spread debris for miles around the launch site.

Such spectacular blunders have been a part of the company's hardware engineering philosophy: move fast, embrace failures and learn from them. ... Read more

The third test flight of SpaceX Starship
The third flight test of Starship is targeted to launch Thursday, March 14. The 110-minute test window opens at 7:00 a.m. CT. | SpaceX | 03/14/24 | 1:43:59/video

Trump arrives for high-stakes court hearing in classified documents case
Axios | Erin Doherty | 03/14/24

Former President Trump arrived Thursday at a Fort Pierce, Fla. courthouse, where his legal team will argue for the dismissal of his classified documents case, multiple outlets reported.

Why it matters: The hearing has huge stakes for the former president and likely GOP presidential nominee. A dismissal of some or all of his charges would be a win for Trump in one of his four criminal trials.

Trump faces 40 counts in the federal case, including charges of willful retention of national defense information and making false statements and representations.

“Trump's team in a filing last month argued that he had "virtually unreviewable" executive authority to designate presidential documents as personal under the law. ... Read more

NASA's pricey mission to send U.S. back to moon
NASA's pricey mission to send U.S. back to moon faces technical challenges | 60 Minutes | 03/05/24 | 13:22
Top U.S. & World Headlines - March 14, 2024 | 03/14/24 | 12:46
Mehdi Hasan on Genocide in Gaza, the Silencing of Palestinian Voices in U.S. Media & Trump's Fascism | DM | 03/14/24 | 33:26
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Thursday, March 14 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. Mehdi Hasan on Genocide in Gaza, the Silencing of Palestinian Voices in U.S. Media & Why He Left MSNBC
  3. Mehdi Hasan on the Risk of the Media Normalizing Trump's Fascism & Dangers of TikTok Ban
  4. Ramesh Srinivasan: TikTok Crackdown, Fueled by Anti-China Sentiment, Misses Real Threat of Big Tech
The1a.org

Wednesday March 13, 2024

Democrats' big vulnerability: Why they're losing Black, Hispanic voters
Axios | Russell Contreras | 03/13/24

New data shows that Democrats' longtime advantage with Black, Latino and Asian American voters has shrunk to its lowest point in more than 60 years - creating a massive vulnerability for President Biden and congressional Democrats.

Why it matters: One of the most loyal parts of the Democratic coalition is suddenly in danger. Black and Hispanic men could vote Republican in numbers not seen since President Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected in the 1950s.

The big picture: Latinos, the nation's largest non-white group, still lean Democratic. But they've been shifting Republican over the last two decades, and are no longer the slam-dunk Democrats they were in 1960 when JFK ran for president.

By the numbers: Democrats' advantage among Black, Latino and Asian voters is at its lowest since 1960, Financial Times columnist and chief data reporter John Burn-Murdoch found by analyzing a massive set of polling data. ... Read more

ISRAEL'S USE OF MASS STARVATION AS A WEAPON OF WAR
TheIntercept | staff | 03/13/24

AFTER SIX MONTHS of a sustained U.S.-backed Israeli war of annihilation against the Palestinians of Gaza, President Joe Biden says he now has a "red line." Asked about Israel's threatened full-scale invasion of Rafah, Biden said, "You can't have another 30,000 Palestinians dead as a consequence of going after [Hamas]," Biden told MSNBC. "There are other ways to deal with Hamas."

The White House has taken no action to halt the transfer of arms and other support to Israel's war and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has openly said that he, not Biden, will decide whether to occupy Gaza. As the Ramadan holiday begins, the humanitarian reality of the people in Gaza has descended into horror. Israel's deliberate starvation campaign is intensifying the already indescribable suffering wrought by constant bombing and ground operations. The decimation of the health infrastructure and the attacks against hospitals have resulted in the collapse of basic health services. ... Read more

Warning to America: Hungarian Green on Authoritarianism as Trump Hosts PM Viktor Orbán at Mar-a-Lago | DM | 03/13/24 | article
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Wednesday, March 13 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. What Is Israel's Goal in Lebanon? Increasing Cross-Border Attacks Risk Expanding the Gaza War
  3. Rami Khouri: U.S. Airdrops & Floating Pier Plan Are "Not Serious Responses" to Gaza Suffering
  4. "Revolutionary Love": Michelle Alexander on Gaza, Solidarity, MLK & What Gives Her Hope
  5. Warning to America: Hungarian Green on Authoritarianism as Trump Hosts PM Viktor Orbán at Mar-a-Lago
BOMBSHELL: Longtime Trump ally cooperates AGAINST Trump ahead of criminal trial | btc | 03/12/24 | 17:32
The1a.org

Tuesday March 12, 2024

RNC's new Trump-backed team orders mass layoffs
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 03/12/24

Trump allies welcomed reports that the Republican National Committee's new leadership team began firing dozens of staff on Monday.

Why it matters: Reports of plans to purge some 60 staffers come days after likely Republican 2024 presidential nominee former President Trump's allies were installed in key committee leadership roles.

The RNC voted for the Trump-backed Michael Whatley to become chair and the former president's daughter-in-law Lara Trump to be co-chair on Friday, some eight months before the 2024 election. ... Read more

What they're saying: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) wrote on X: "MAGA is now in control of the Republican Party!! We will continue to need everyone's help all the way across the finish line!"

Trump pledges to free Jan. 6 rioters in early act as president if elected
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 03/12/24

Former President Trump vowed Monday to "free" Jan. 6 rioters as one of his first acts if he's elected for a second term in November.

Why it matters: Trump's comments on his Truth Social platform appear to mark the first time the likely Republican presidential nominee has indicated that releasing those imprisoned over the U.S. Capitol riot would be an early priority of his presidency.

What he's saying: "My first acts as your next President will be to Close the Border, DRILL, BABY, DRILL, and Free the January 6 Hostages being wrongfully imprisoned!" Trump wrote on Monday evening, in reference to the prisoners.

By the numbers: "In the 38 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,358 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol," per the latest Justice Department statement. ... Read more

Donald Trump won't give 'a penny' to Ukraine if elected, Orbán says
Klepper Presses Haley Supporters
Klepper Presses Haley Supporters: Biden or Trump in 2024? | The Daily Show | 03/05/24 | 5:37
Jon Stewart Calls BS on Trump & the GOP
Jon Stewart Calls BS on Trump & the GOP's Performative Patriotism | The Daily Show | 03/11/24 | 14:45
Mocking Biden's Stutter | Trump Loves Hitler, Admires Dictators
Mocking Biden's Stutter | Trump Loves Hitler, Admires Dictators | The Late Show | 03/11/24 | 12:45
In September 2023, the European Commission designated six gatekeepers - Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft - that are providing 22 core platform services which meet the criteria to be regulated under the The Digital Markets Act (DMA).

The Digital Markets Act - the European Union’s most wide-ranging effort to rein in the power of big tech companies - went into effect this week. On March 7, the six-month grace period for the six companies designated as "gatekeepers" ended, meaning they now have to comply with the rules set out in the DMA and outline the measures they've taken in compliance reports to the European Commission.
Top U.S. & World Headlines - March 12, 2024 | 03/12/24 | 12:14
Aid Workers Say Israel Must End Attack on Gaza, Open Aid Routes | DN | 03/12/24 | 18:00
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Tuesday, March 12 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. "Haiti Needs Peace": PM Ariel Henry Announces He Will Resign, Transitional Council to Take Charge
  3. Aid Worker in Gaza: The Only Barrier to Delivering Supplies Is Israel. The U.S. Must Pressure Its Ally
  4. U.N. Rapporteur Francesca Albanese Urges Arms Embargo & Sanctions on Israel over War Crimes in Gaza
  5. Immigrants Held in Private Northwest Detention Center Report Death, Suicide Attempts Amid Crackdown
The1a.org

Donald Trump and Viktor Orbán: The American right's most disturbing global alliance grows desperate
Salon | HEATHER DIGBY PARTON | 03/12/24

I've been following Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's increasing influence on the American far right for some time as he hosted the likes of former Fox News celebrity Tucker Carlson and held a CPAC meeting in Budapest. (They're doing it again in April with Orbán once again doing the hosting duties.) He was the darling of a certain faction of the conservative coalition even before Donald Trump won and whose election in 2016 super-charged the "illiberal democracy" ideology here in the U.S. which we now know as MAGA. He likewise hopes to consolidate the European far-right into a MAGA-style movement throughout the continent.

Orbán's CPAC appearance got a thunderous ovation last year and just last week he came to meet with members of the Heritage Foundation which is busily putting together "Project 2025" for the second Trump term. One imagines he had quite a few tips for them. He wrote the book on how to turn a modern country into a repressive autocracy without becoming a full-fledged police state.

Trump himself doesn't seem completely sold on that idea since he's pushing for mass round-ups and deportations of non-citizens by National Guard troops and a total lockdown of the country to keep foreigners who "don't like our religion" (or Israel) out of the country. And he's promised to "root out the communists, Marxists, fascists, and the radical-left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country that lie and steal and cheat on elections" which leans more in the direction of Putin's Russia or Pinochet's Chile. But Orbán's ideas about how to make the government bureaucracy into a patronage operation, gerrymander the legislature in ways that pretty much strangle real democracy while turning the independent media and academia into impotent irrelevancies are being observed very carefully by the Trump 2.0 planners and they will be implemented if they gain power. (It's also the case that Orbán demonized migrants as a political strategy and even built a fence to keep them out, so they do have that in common as well.)

After the Heritage meeting, Orban made the pilgrimage down to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump. (Notably, he wasn't invited, nor did he ask, to meet with the actual president of the United States.) Trump was very impressed with his guest. He apparently feted him at the usual party that takes place every night at this social club and introduced him to the crowd of paying guests saying, "He's a non-controversial figure because he says this is the way it's going to be, and that's the end of it. Right? He's the boss." ... Read more


Monday March 11, 2024

Health care providers losing up to $1B a day from cyberattack
Axios | Tina Reed | 03/11/24

Disruptions from the Change Healthcare cyberattack are costing health providers as much as $1 billion a day and creating enough of a drag to depress first-quarter earnings, analysts and industry officials say.

Why it matters: Even though Change's parent, UnitedHealth Group, has a timeline for restoring the third-party payment systems that roughly half of U.S. health care relies on, it's not as simple as throwing a switch.

What they're saying: "I know some systems that bill $40 or $50 million a day. They're up to about $800 million so far," Chip Kahn, CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals, told Axios about lost cash flow.

The big picture: Providers that use Change systems have seen portions — and in some cases nearly all — of their revenue vanish since systems for filing claims or having them paid went offline Feb. 21. ... Read more

Biden sends his $7.3 trillion budget to Congress
Axios | Hans Nichols | 03/11/24

President Biden is proposing a $7.3 trillion FY 2025 budget that would offset spending on his key domestic priorities - including tax credits for families and new money for housing - by increasing taxes on corporations and the rich.

Why it matters: Biden is using his budget to fill out the fine print of the campaign promises he has been making for months, and to press Congress to provide funding for Ukraine, Israel and border security.

"My Budget also makes key investments in childcare and education, so every child in America can have the strong start they need to thrive," Biden said in a statement. ... Read more

Biden vs. Trump: Whose Economic Plan Is Better
Biden vs. Trump: Whose Economic Plan Is Better for You? | Robert Reich | 02/11/24 | 4:09
According to SIPRI data, China has increased its military expenditure by almost 900 percent since 1992. At around $300 billion in 2022, the Chinese spent significantly more than the Russians (around $72 billion), but their spending was still well below that of the U.S. (around $812 billion). China is the second-biggest spender in total military budget after the United States.
Top U.S. & World Headlines - March 11, 2024 | 03/11/24 | 12:42
"The Trauma Is Immeasurable": Palestinian Writer Susan Abulhawa on Israeli Violence in Gaza | DN | 03/11/24 | 8:38
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Monday, March 11 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. "Empire's Laboratory": How 2004 U.S.-Backed Coup Destabilized Haiti & Led to Current Crisis
  3. Guilty: U.S.-Backed Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández Convicted of Drug Trafficking
  4. "The Trauma Is Immeasurable": Palestinian Writer Susan Abulhawa on Israeli Violence in Gaza
Trump hit with SURPRISE, unexpected court loss | btc | 03/09/24 | 8:02
Jimmy Kimmel HUMILIATES Trump ON STAGE at the Oscars | btc | 03/11/24 | 8:56
We're On The Road To Fascism & They Cut The Breaks? w/ Peter Montgomery | Thom Hartmann | 03/09/24 | 11:08
The1a.org

Friday March 08, 2024

Uvalde shooting: New report clears officers of blame to dismay of families
Axios | Sareen Habeshian | 03/08/24

An independent report released Thursday did not assign blame to local law enforcement officers and defended their actions in response to the May 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

The big picture: The findings are somewhat contrary to other reports, including one from the Department of Justice earlier this year that heavily criticized law enforcement's response, explicitly calling it a "failure." ... Read more

7 highlights from Biden's 2024 State of the Union address
7 highlights from Biden's 2024 State of the Union address | CBS News | 03/08/24 | 25:20
State of the Union address 2024
State of the Union address 2024: Full Biden speech | AP | 03/07/24 | 1:56:37
Fiery, Heated State Of The Union Speech
Biden Delivers A Feisty, Fiery, Heated State Of The Union Speech | Stephen Colbert | 03/07/28 | 11:29
Ultimate History Crash Course | Robert Reich
My Ultimate History Crash Course | Robert Reich | 02/27/24 | 32:59
Top U.S. & World Headlines - March 08, 2024 | 03/08/24 | 16:10
State of the Union: Biden's Domestic Agenda Undermined by Foreign Policy, Says Katrina vanden Heuvel | DN | 03/08/24 | 23:19
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Friday, March 08 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. Katrina vanden Heuvel: Biden’s Domestic Agenda - Taxes, Reproductive Rights - Undermined by Foreign Policy
  3. Biden’s SOTU on Gaza: Israeli Daughter of Freed Hostage & Palestinian American Professor Respond
Biden takes down Supreme Court Justices TO THEIR FACES in homerun moment | btc | 03/08/24 | 5:51
This Foreign Dictator is Training Trump To Be the Perfect Fascist | Thom Hartmann | 03/08/24 | 7:19
The1a.org

Thursday March 07, 2024

Biden plans feisty economic reset
Axios | Mike Allen,Zachary Basu | 03/07/24

President Biden will use tonight's State of the Union address to admit that prices are still too high in some areas - but argue things were worse under former President Trump, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients tells Axios.

Why it matters: Biden, in what could well be the most important speech of his presidency, aims to project fighting optimism to an audience with plenty of doubts about the nation's vigor - and that of the 81-year-old president.

Biden needs a cure for what some advisers call "Trump amnesia" - the notion that the chaos and unpopularity of Trump's presidency has receded from some voters' memories nearly four years on. ... Read more

HOW HOMELAND SECURITY IS UNDERMINING FAITH IN U.S. ELECTIONS
TheIntercept | Daniel Boguslaw | 03/06/24

NOW THAT THE party nominees for president have all but been decided, America's entire election infrastructure is under assault, from foreign governments, hackers, and extremists. Or at least that's the frenzied message being conveyed from on high these days. Russian warning lights are flashing. Think tanks are working overtime to grind out panicked reports about cybersecurity and disinformation. Fearmongering proliferates on both sides of the political aisle.

But it is the federal government that is most active in this effort, and in its zeal to "protect" the elections, Washington is building a narrative that achieves exactly what it blames foreign adversaries for. By arguing that the elections can and will be manipulated, federal agencies are delegitimizing the highly effective and secure electoral system, and affirming the view of too many Americans that the vote can’t be trusted. ... Read more

Trump a worse appeaser than Neville Chamberlain, leading Democrat says
TheGuardian | Martin Pengelly | 03/07/24

Donald Trump is a worse appeaser in his attitude to Vladimir Putin and Russia than the 1930s British prime minister Neville Chamberlain was towards Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany, a senior Democrat on the House intelligence committee said.

Jim Himes of Connecticut, the ranking Democrat on the committee, also said Trump acted like a “single-cell organism” in obstructing aid to Ukraine.

"They both may be undertaking an act of appeasement," Himes added, “but Neville Chamberlain, love him or hate him, I think probably thought this through.

"Donald Trump is a little bit of a single-celled organism: he responds to one stimulus and one stimulus only, which is, 'Does this make me feel good or does it make me feel bad?' And Ukraine makes him feel bad because he got impeached over Ukraine." ... Read more

Maddow, MSNBC panel instantly fact-check Trump's Super Tuesday speech
Maddow, MSNBC panel instantly fact-check Trump's Super Tuesday speech | 03/06/24 | 8:36
Top U.S. & World Headlines - March 07, 2024 | 03/07/24 | 14:32
How U.S. Military Support Is Undercutting Ceasefire Talks, Prolonging War | DN | 03/07/24 | 18:17
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Thursday, March 07 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. Israel's "Killing Machine": How U.S. Military Support Is Undercutting Ceasefire Talks, Prolonging War
  3. Biden Admin Quietly Approves 100+ Arms Sales to Israel While Claiming Concern for Civilians in Gaza
  4. New Pakistan Gov’t Marks Return of “Bourgeois Old Guard” as Jailed Imran Khan Looms Large
Trump lawyer Alina Habba SCRAMBLES in humiliating live TV segment | btc | 03/07/24 | 13:19
The1a.org
George Conway: What Biden needs to say is 'Let's Be Normal, America' | 03/07/24 | 8:04

Wednesday March 06, 2024

Nikki Haley suspending presidential campaign
Axion | Erin Doherty,Mike Allen | 03/06/24

Former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley will announce Wednesday that she is suspending her presidential bid, a top Haley source told Axios.

Why it matters: Haley became the first woman to win a GOP presidential primary earlier this month, but her rise in the polls and 11th-hour endorsements were not enough to break former President Trump's commanding lead.

She's expected to announce the news in remarks on Wednesday morning, the Wall Street Journal first reported. ... Read more

I code the body electric: We're putting AI brains in robot bodies now. What could go wrong?
Salon | Rae Hodge | 03/05/24

If we open a humanoid robot's metal skull right now and replaced the regular old computer in there with one that has access to a large language model (LLM) - so that the robot is controlled by artificial intelligence the same way we humans are controlled by the electrified hamburger meat between our ears - I don't think we would actually be able to tell if that robot eventually reached human-level, living consciousness. And while it's fair to say I change my opinion on this about once a week, I've recently wondered whether this sort of consciousness might be already occurring to some extent, even if only in the most primitive way.

The problem is that science doesn't yet fully know what the terms "artificial intelligence" and "consciousness" even mean. There are a hundred theories reasoned out across the two interwoven fields, but we humans are still new to the ambitious (and possibly self-contradicting) goal of quantifying sentience. ... Read more

Jon Stewart Unpacks the GOP's "Migrant Crime" Narrative
Jon Stewart Unpacks the GOP's "Migrant Crime" Narrative | The Daily Show | 03/05/24 | 10:01
Confirmed 2024 presidential candidates
Super Tuesday: Trump and Biden
Why it matters: On the biggest voting day before November, the frontrunners won the two states with the most delegates: Texas and California.
Top U.S. & World Headlines - March 06, 2024 | 03/06/24 | 13:13
Super Tuesday: Biden, Trump Head to Rematch; Schiff Helps Garvey in CA; AIPAC Suffers Setback | DN | 03/06/24 | 19:56
"The Zone of Interest": Producer James Wilson on the Holocaust, Gaza & "Walls That Separate Us" | DN | 03/05/24 | 10:27
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Wednesday, March 06 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. Super Tuesday: Biden, Trump Head to Rematch; Schiff Helps Garvey Place in CA; AIPAC Suffers Setback
  3. Unanimous? Supreme Court Ruling Leaving Trump on Ballot Reveals Split Among Justices
  4. What I Witnessed in Gaza Is a Holocaust: Palestinian Writer Susan Abulhawa
The1a.org

Tuesday March 05, 2024

AI jobs charge ahead in the face of public skepticism
Axios | Ivana Saric | 03/05/24

New AI jobs postings continue to grow in the U.S. despite the fact that public trust in AI technology and the companies behind it is sinking.

Why it matters: The trend highlights the disconnected feelings between the public and the tech industry when it comes to the advancement of AI.

State of play: There were 10,404 new AI job postings in January, a 42% rise from Dec. 2022, according to the University of Maryland and LinkUp's AI job tracker.

By comparison, there were more than 90,000 total new IT job postings in January - a 31% drop from from Dec. 2022, per the Wall Street Journal. ... Read more

In the U.S., trust in AI companies has dropped to 35% from 50% five years ago

Public trust in AI is sinking across the board
Axios | Ina Fried | 03/05/24

Trust in AI technology and the companies that develop it is dropping, in both the U.S. and around the world, according to new data from Edelman shared first with Axios.

By the numbers: Globally, trust in AI companies has dropped to 53%, down from 61% five years ago. In the U.S., trust has dropped 15 percentage points (from 50% to 35%) over the same period.

Trust in AI is low across political lines. Democrats trust in AI companies is 38%, independents are at 25% and Republicans at 24%.

Tech is losing its lead as the most trusted sector. Eight years ago, technology was the leading industry in trust in 90% of the countries Edelman studies. Today, it is the most trusted in only half of countries. ... Read more

"When it comes to AI regulation, the public's response is pretty clear: 'What regulation?'," Westcott said. "There's a clear and urgent call for regulators to meet the public's expectations head on."
Stories about Iran | 60 Minutes | 11/26/23 | 54:12
State of the U.S.-China relationship as countries compete economically | 60 Minutes | 02/28/24 | 26:53
Top U.S. & World Headlines - March 05, 2024 | 03/05/24 | 9:00
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Tuesday, March 05 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. Haiti: Ariel Henry's U.S.-Backed "Criminal Regime" Faces Gang Uprising; U.N. Set to Deploy Kenyan Police
  3. Narco-State: U.S.-Backed Fmr. Honduran Pres. Juan Orlando Hernández on Trial in NY for Drug Trafficking
  4. "The Zone of Interest": Oscar-Nominated Film Producer on the Holocaust, Gaza & "Walls That Separate Us"
BREAKING: Trump suffers SURPRISE, STUNNING loss | btc | 03/04/24 | 9:26
You Don't Want To Know What the GOP Has In Store For America | Thom Hartmann | 02/15/24 | 5:54
Since Dobbs, Democrats Keep Overperforming, Winning and Republicans Keep Struggling_sm.pdf
The1a.org

Monday March 04, 2024

Sierra Nevada hit with ferocious blizzard
Axios | Shauneen Miranda,Andrew Freedman | 03/04/24

A blizzard warning was in effect until midnight Sunday for parts of the Sierra, as the massive winter storm disrupts travel in portions of California and Nevada.

The big picture: The "potentially life-threatening" blizzard which began slamming parts of the Sierra Nevada on Thursday was gradually waning on Sunday evening ahead of another storm expected on Monday night.

State of play: This storm has brought relentless hurricane-force winds to the Sierra, knocking out power, creating whiteout conditions and shutting down Interstate 80 for well over 24 hours. ... Read more

Supreme Court rules Trump can appear on Colorado ballot. States can’t kick Trump off ballot, Supreme Court says.

Nikki Haley makes history with D.C. Republican primary win
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 03/04/24

Presidential candidate Nikki Haley won her first GOP presidential nominating contest on Sunday, the D.C. Republican Party announced.

Why it matters: "This makes Nikki Haley the first woman to win a Republican primary in U.S. history," noted Haley campaign spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas in a post to X.

The big picture: While Haley's win in Washington, D.C., doesn't affect the trajectory of the race that former President Trump has dominated, it's a welcome boost for the ex-UN ambassador ahead of this week's Super Tuesday contests. ... Read more

If One Megabank Collapses, the U.S. Economy Goes With It. Should We Have More?
Politico | Vistoria Guida | 03/01/24

In a speech at the University of Michigan last month, one of the nation’s top banking regulators posed a deceptively simple question. Michael Hsu, the acting comptroller of currency, wondered aloud: "What should the banking system look like?"

Hsu, an understated lawyer who spent his career overseeing large financial institutions at agencies like the Federal Reserve and the Securities and Exchange Commission, wasn't just asking an idle question. His meaning was more specific: How big should American banks be, and how much financial power should be concentrated in the largest ones?

It's an important question - perhaps even more so now than when Wall Street crashed the economy 15 years ago. Since then, the four universal megabanks that now dominate the economy - JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo - have grown significantly. ... Read more

Top U.S. & World Headlines - March 04, 2024 | 03/04/24 | 13:07
Report from Rafah: U.S. Airdrops Food to Gaza While Arming Israel to Drop Bombs | DN | 03/04/24 | 18:40
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Monday, March 04 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. Report from Rafah: U.S. Airdrops Food to Gaza While Arming Israel to Drop Bombs
  3. "Alexei Navalny Taught Russia’s Opposition How to Mobilize": Historian on Putin's "Dictatorship"
  4. "Enraging": Meet Abbey Crain, IVF Patient in Midst of Treatment Derailed by Alabama High Court
Trump suddenly confronted by disaster scenario in DC trial | btc | 03/04/24 | 14:05
Did Corporations Kill Democracy? | Thom Hartmann | 03/01/24 | 7:24
The1a.org

Friday March 01, 2024

Key takeaways from transcript of Hunter Biden's testimony
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 03/01/24

A transcript of Hunter Biden's closed-door deposition before two Republican-led committees was publicly released on Thursday.

The big picture: He struck a defiant tone as he appeared before the House Oversight and Judiciary committees as part of their impeachment inquiry into his father, President Biden.

Hunter Biden maintained throughout his testimony that lasted over six hours that his father was never involved in his business dealings. ... Read more

Hunter Biden's testimony transcript


Hunter Biden skewers "baseless" GOP impeachment inquiry ahead of testimony

Trump's one loss this week: His 2024 courtroom strategy
Axios | Erin Doherty | 03/01/24

Former President Trump's delay tactics are paying off in court, but he may be losing one of his most potent venues for his grievance-centered campaign: courthouses.

Why it matters: It now appears likely that just one of Trump's four criminal cases - the one in New York involving hush money paid to an adult film actress - will conclude before the 2024 election.

That means Trump - who's used court appearances for rants against against Democrats and fundraising pleas - may need new backdrops in casting himself as a victim of politically motivated prosecutors. ... ... Read more

Top U.S. & World Headlines - March 01, 2024 | 03/01/24 | 11:32
The Intercept: New York Times Exposé Lacks Evidence to Claim Hamas Weaponized Sexual Violence Oct. 7 | DN | 03/01/24 | 29:08
Israel Kills 104 Palestinians Waiting for Food Aid as U.N. Expert Accuses Israel of Starving Gaza | DN | 02/29/24 | 18:40
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Friday, March 01 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. "Just Being Racist": Biden & Trump Push Anti-Immigrant Policies in Dueling Border Visits
  3. The Intercept: New York Times Expose Lacks Evidence to Claim Hamas Weaponized Sexual Violence Oct. 7
The1a.org

Thursday Febuary 29, 2024

Humanoid robots draw millions from Bezos, OpenAI and more
Axios | Jennifer A. Kingson | 02/29/24

Humanoid robot startup Figure has drawn a $675 million investment from Jeff Bezos, AI chipmaker Nvidia, ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and others.

Why it matters: Bipedal robots with dexterous hands are joining the labor force this year, a trend that's expected to gain steam.

Driving the news: The infusion of capital for Figure, a Silicon Valley startup founded by "flying taxi" pioneer Brett Adcock, gives it a valuation of $2.6 billion.

Investors include Microsoft, the OpenAI Startup Fund, Nvidia, the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund and Jeff Bezos (through Bezos Expeditions). ... Read more

Humanoid robots are coming
Axios | Jennifer A. Kingson | 03/17/23

Human-shaped robots with dexterous hands will be staffing warehouses and retail stores, tending to the elderly and performing household chores within a decade or so, according to a Silicon Valley startup working toward that vision.

Why it matters: Demographic trends — such as a persistent labor shortage and the growing elder care crisis - make fully-functioning, AI-driven humanoid robots look tantalizingly appealing.

Companies such as Amazon are reportedly worried about running out of warehouse workers, whose jobs are physically and mentally demanding with high attrition.

Driving the news: A heavy-hitting startup called Figure, which just emerged from stealth mode, is building a prototype of a humanoid robot that the company says will eventually be able to walk, climb stairs, open doors, use tools and lift boxes — perhaps even make dinner. ... Read more

Texas farmers claim company sold them PFAS-contaminated sludge that killed livestock
TheGuardian | Tom Perkins | 02/29/24

A Texas county has launched a first-of-its-kind criminal investigation into waste management giant Synagro over PFAS-contaminated sewage sludge it is selling to Texas farmers as a cheap alternative to fertilizer.

The PFAS levels independent testing found on the farm were "shockingly high", said Kyla Bennett, policy director for the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility nonprofit, which is assisting in the analyses. ... Read more

Democratic watchdog organization Freedom House has released its annual ranking of the world's most free and most suppressed nations. The report is considered a key barometer for global democracy and this year's edition found that global freedom has declined for the 18th year straight. While 2022 had been heralded as a "possible turning point" as about as many countries showed improvements as marked declines, 2023 saw a new low of nations bettering their freedom prospects - only 21. This number stands opposite 52 countries where political freedoms and civil liberties declined.
Top U.S. & World Headlines - February 29, 2024 | 01/29/24 | 13:00
Sen. Merkley: McConnell Paralyzed the Senate & Turned Supreme Court into "Far-Right Legislature" | DN | 02/29/24 | 10:49
Senator Jeff Merkley: U.S. "Complicit in Starvation and Humanitarian Catastrophe" in Gaza | DN | 02/29/24 | 12:59
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Thursday, Febuary 29 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. Senator Jeff Merkley: U.S. "Complicit in Starvation and Humanitarian Catastrophe" in Gaza
  3. Sen. Merkley: McConnell Paralyzed the Senate & Turned Supreme Court into "Far-Right Legislature"
  4. Israel Kills 104 Palestinians Waiting for Food Aid as U.N. Expert Accuses Israel of Starving Gaza
The1a.org
'This is B.S.': Maddow shreds 'cravenness' of Supreme Court delaying Trump trial | MSNBC | 02/29/24 | 10:37

Wednesday Febuary 28, 2024

Wild weather threatens much of U.S. with snow, tornadoes, heat and fires
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 02/28/24

Millions of Americans are facing extreme weather whiplash this week - notably in cities including Chicago and Dallas, which were forecast to swing from record highs to wintry lows.

The big picture: Ground stops were temporarily declared at Chicago Midway and O'Hare airports into early Wednesday amid multiple reports of tornadoes, powerful winds and "golf ball-size hail" in the area, as a supercell swept across parts of Illinois and into Ohio Valley.

A strong winter storm was continuing to impact much of the U.S. West, with heavy snow, gusty winds and rain, the NWS noted in its Tuesday night forecast discussion. ... Read more

Four big takeaways from Michigan's Democratic and GOP primaries
Axios | David Lindsey | 02/28/24

There wasn't much doubt that President Biden and former President Trump would romp to victories in the Michigan primaries Tuesday. But Biden's win in particular revealed his vulnerability in a crucial swing state that could decide the presidency in November.

Why it matters: Arab American and young voters - key to Biden winning Michigan in 2020 - turned out by the tens of thousands on Tuesday to vote ... not for Biden, but for "uncommitted" in the Democratic primary.

The protest vote, driven by anger over Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war, had drawn more than 100,000 supporters with 98.5% of the ballots counted - several times more than organizers expected.

That took some of the glow from a victory in which Biden got more than 80% of the vote, and confirmed that Biden has some serious persuading to do between now and November. ... Read more

How a $1 billion gift could transform a Bronx medical school
Axios | Felix Salmon | 02/28/24

Ruth Gottesman has donated $1 billion to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx. The money will be placed in an endowment, the income from which will fund free tuition for all students in perpetuity.

Why it matters: No one but Gottesman, a pediatrician who spent her whole career at Einstein, would have made this particular donation. But philanthropy by its nature is idiosyncratic, and this gift in particular has the potential to have some very welcome second- and even third-order effects.

The big picture: Gottesman was bequeathed her fortune by her husband, Sandy, an early investor in Berkshire Hathaway, who died in 2022 at the age of 96. ... Read more

After the process of Sweden joining NATO had stalled since 2022 due to Turkey's and Hungary's objections, the latter country's parliament on Monday was the last to clear the way for the Northern European country's accession to the military alliance. Hungarian prime Minister Viktor Orban finally let the motion come to a vote and it passed with an overwhelming majority. He and his party had previously taken issue with Swedish criticism of their governance in Hungary, according to Deutsche Welle.

In April, Sweden's neighbor Finland became a member of NATO, also after initial push-back.
Top U.S. & World Headlines - February 28, 2024 | 01/28/24 | 11:45
"Uncommitted": Over 100,000 Cast Protest Vote Against Biden's Gaza Policy in Michigan Primary | DN | 02/28/24 | 24:03
Ralph Nader at 90 on the "Genocidal War" in Gaza & Why Congress Is a Weapon of Mass Destruction | DN | 02/27/24 | 17:19
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Wednesday, Febuary 28 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. "Uncommitted": Over 100,000 Cast Protest Vote Against Biden's Gaza Policy in Michigan Primary
  3. The Life & Death of Aaron Bushnell: U.S. Airman Self-Immolates Protesting U.S. Support for Israel in Gaza
Trump attorneys panic, pull despirate move in court | btc | 02/28/24 | 10:37
The1a.org
Devastation in Gaza unlike any other war zone American doctor has been to | 60 Minutes | 02/26/24 | 13:47

Tuesday Febuary 27, 2024

Behind the Curtain: AI's doom or boom
Axios | Jim VandeHei,Mike Allen | 02/27/24

Not since the atomic bomb has so much money been spent in so little time on a technology its own creators admit could ... wipe out our entire species.

Why it matters: Most people ignore or dismiss the sentence above because it seems too ludicrous to be true. But as technological savants crank out new large-language-model wonders, it's worth pausing to hear their own warnings.

The big picture: Sometimes our world changes so fast, in so many head-spinning ways, that it's impossible to fully capture the wildness - and weirdness - of it all.

Dario Amodei, who has raised $7.3 billion for his AI start-up Anthropic after leaving OpenAI over concerns over ethics, says there's a 10% to 25% chance that AI technology could destroy humanity.

Geoffrey Hinton - known as "The Godfather of AI," and for 10 years one of Google's AI leaders - warns anyone who'll listen that we're creating a technology that in our lifetimes could control and obliterate us. ... Read more

"Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war."

Generative AI's next act: Autonomous agents
Axios | Ina Fried,Scott Rosenberg | 02/27/24

AI's key brain trusts are already looking beyond today's popular chatbots to a world in which AI agents act on your behalf.

Why it matters: As AI races from just saying things to doing things for us, its potential benefits and harms will multiply fast.

Driving the news: ChatGPT maker OpenAI is deep into development of AI agent systems, as the Information recently reported. ... Read more

War in Ukraine: Making Sense of a Senseless Conflict by Medea Benjamin

Yes, Russia's aggression was reckless and, ultimately, indefensible. But the West's reneging on promises to halt eastward expansion of NATO in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union played a major part in prompting Putin to act. So did the U.S. involvement in the 2014 Ukraine coup and Ukraine's failure to implement the Minsk peace agreements. The result is a conflict that is increasingly difficult to resolve, one that could conceivably escalate into all-out war between the United States and Russia?the world's two leading nuclear powers.

Skillfully bringing together the historical record and current analysis, War In Ukraine looks at the events leading up to the conflict, surveys the different parties involved, and weighs the risks of escalation and opportunities for peace. For anyone who wants to get beneath the heavily propagandized media coverage to an understanding of a war with consequences that could prove cataclysmic, reading this timely book will be an urgent necessity.
Top U.S. & World Headlines - February 27, 2024 | 01/27/24 | 14:21
Should the U.S. Send More Weapons to Ukraine? A Debate on Funding & Ways to End Two-Year-Old War | DN | 02/27/24 | 23:27
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Tuesday, Febuary 27 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. Should U.S. Send More Weapons to Ukraine? A Debate on Funding & Ways to End Two-Year-Old War
  3. Ralph Nader at 90 on the "Genocidal War" in Gaza & Why Congress Is a Weapon of Mass Destruction
Lifelong Republican drops bomb on Trump LIVE ON FOX | btc | 02/27/24 | 5:56
The1a.org
Watch Rachel Maddow Highlights: Feb. 26 | 02/26/24 | 20:06
Jon Stewart on Israel - Palestine | The Daily Show | 02/26/24 | 13:14

Monday Febuary 26, 2024

Economists see much stronger 2024 growth: NABE survey
Axios | Courtenay Brown | 02/26/24

An influential group of economists has "sharply revised upwards" America's 2024 growth expectations, in what could be another year that stuns forecasters.

Driving the news: As the U.S. economy continues to outperform, the National Association for Business Economics — which has conducted semi-regular survey of professional forecasters since 1965 - is the latest to say the economy won't see a sluggish year.

The median forecast for GDP is nearly a full percentage point higher than that expected just two months ago. It's now 2.2%, compared to the 1.3% expected in December.

That includes much stronger growth for the current quarter — an annualized 2%, not the 0.7% previously forecast. ... Read more

Palestinian prime minister resigns amid calls to reform Palestinian Authority
Axios | Barak Ravid | 02/26/24

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh resigned on Monday amid growing pressure by the U.S. and Arab countries on President Mahmoud Abbas to conduct wide-ranging reforms, including injecting "new blood" into the Palestinian Authority's leadership.

Why it matters: Shtayyeh's resignation had been expected for weeks. U.S. and Arab countries want to see a "revitalized" Palestinian Authority that can stabilize itself in the occupied West Bank and play a role in the management of post-war Gaza.

Abbas and his aides are working with the U.S. and Arab countries on forming a new technocratic government.

Abbas is expected to nominate his confidant and chair of the Palestinian Investment Fund, Mahammad Mustafa, to head the new government, according to two U.S. and Palestinian officials. ... Read more

State of the U.S.-China relationship
State of the U.S.-China relationship as countries compete economically | 60 Minutes | 02/26/24 | 26:53
How Western media chooses who they champion and vilify
How Western media chooses who they champion and vilify | The Listening Post | 02/24/24 | 25:22
Ever since Nvidia first revealed to the world how much it expects to profit from the rise of artificial intelligence in May 2023, the chipmaker has been the poster child of the AI-fueled stock market rally that has propelled the S&P 500 to historic highs. So much so, in fact, that each of the company's earnings releases since then has been considered a make-or-break moment for market momentum, with investors around the world biting their nails, hoping for more positive news from the company that quite literally powers the AI revolution. And so far, Nvidia has always delivered. On Wednesday, the company reported fourth-quarter results that not only met its bullish outlook from three months ago, but blew past it.
Top U.S. & World Headlines - February 26, 2024 | 01/26/24 | 14:22
Top U.S. & World Headlines - February 26, 2024 | 01/26/24 | 18:19
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Monday, Febuary 26 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. As 2-Month-Old Starves to Death in Gaza, Mosab Abu Toha Says His Own Family Is Eating Animal Feed
  3. Gaza Ceasefire Could Save 75,000 from Death: Report from London School of Hygiene & Johns Hopkins
  4. U.S. Anti-Terrorism Laws Are "Anti-Palestinian at the Core," Chill First Amendment
Republicans ruling backfires in spectacular fashion |btc | 02/26/24 | 9:16
The1a.org
Is Donald Trump a Fascist? | Robert Reich | 08/08/23 | 6:56
- Rejecting democracy for a strongman
- Stoking rage against cultural elites
- Nationalism based on "superior" race
- Glorifying strength and warriors
- Disdain of women and LGBTQ+ people

Thursday Febuary 22, 2024

Erik Prince Calls for U.S. to Colonize Africa and Latin America
Axios | Jon Schwarz | 02/10/24

ERIK PRINCE HAS been many things in his 54 years on Earth: the wealthy heir to an auto supply company; a Navy SEAL; the founder of the mercenary firm Blackwater, which conducted a notorious 2007 massacre in the middle of Baghdad; the brother of Betsy DeVos, Donald Trump's secretary of education; a shadow adviser to Trump; and the plaintiff in a lawsuit against The Intercept.

Last November, Prince started a podcast called "Off Leash," which in its promotional copy says he "brings a unique and invaluable perspective to today's increasingly volatile world." On an episode last Tuesday, his unique and invaluable perspective turned out to be that the U.S. should "put the imperial hat back on" and take over and directly run huge swaths of the globe. ... Read more

Jon Stewart on Tucker Carlson’s Putin Interview
Jon Stewart on Tucker Carlson’s Putin Interview & Trip to Russia | The Daily Show | 02/20/24 | 15:11
Supreme Court Ethics
Supreme Court Ethics: Last Week Tonight | John Oliver | 02/22/24 | 30:20
Klepper Calls for Gun Control After KC Parade Shooting
Klepper Calls for Gun Control After KC Parade Shooting & Trump Might Get Off In GA | The Daily Show | 02/16/24 | 9:07
Top U.S. & World Headlines - February 22, 2024 | 01/22/24 | 11:18
"Moral Failure": Democrats Urge Biden to Change Gaza Policy | DN | 02/21/24 | 15:07
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Thursday, Febuary 22 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. Frozen Embryos Are Children? Reproductive Care in Peril After Alabama Supreme Court Ruling
  3. Malcolm X Assassination: Former Security Guards Reveal New Details Pointing to FBI, NYPD Conspiracy
Trump-friendly judge's scheme suddenly set to BACKFIRE on Trump | btc | 02/22/24 | 10:23
The1a.org
Watch The Beat with Ari Melber Highlights: Feb. 21 | MSNBC | 02/21/24 | 16:13

Wednesday Febuary 21, 2024

CNN's Dana Bash has book coming on America's "most violent election"
Axios | Mike Allen | 02/21/24

Dana Bash, CNN anchor and chief political correspondent, will be out Sept. 3 with "America's Deadliest Election," a book about the little-known 1872 Louisiana gubernatorial election.

Why it matters: The book, being published two months before our own contentious election, "is an eye-opening warning of what's at stake and what it takes to protect our democracy," the forthcoming announcement says.

Details: The election "led to hundreds of murders, warfare in the streets of New Orleans, [dueling] governors of Louisiana," the publisher, Hanover Square Press/HarperCollins, says.

"The entire country watched in grim fascination as the wounds of the Civil War were ripped open and the promise of President Grant's Reconstruction faltered in the face of violent resistance and the birth of the Ku Klux Klan." ... Read more

America's Deadliest Election: The Cautionary Tale of the Most Violent Election in American History Hardcover | Sept 3, 2024 | by Dana Bash & David Fisher

The Election of 1872 was the most contentious in American history. After both parties complained of corruption, neither candidate would concede, two governors claimed office and chaos erupted. Rival newspapers engaged in a bitter war of words, politicians plotted to overthrow the government, and their supporters fought in the streets and attempted assassinations. The entire country watched in grim fascination as the wounds of the Civil War were ripped open and the promise of President Grant’s Reconstruction faltered in the face of violent resistance and the birth of the Ku Klux Klan.

In this riveting book, Dana Bash and David Fisher tell the incredible, little-known story of the election that pushed democracy to the breaking point, and sparked historic events including:

  1. The Colfax Massacre, in which at least 150 Black men were killed by white supremacists
  2. The extraordinary train race from New York to New Orleans for control of the state government
  3. The election of the first black Congressman from Louisiana in the face of violent resistance
  4. The Supreme Court ruling that ended Reconstruction and became the foundation of Southern segregation, changing the American legal system for the next century

Readers will find eerie parallels to today's divided political landscape and leaders willing to seize power no matter the cost. An eye-opening warning of what's at stake and what it takes to protect our democracy, this is a must-read tale of America's deadliest election.
Inside a Chinese Ghost Town of Abandoned Mansions | WSJ | 02/20/24 | 5:13
Top U.S. & World Headlines - February 21, 2024 | 01/21/24 | 10:46
Julian Assange: WikiLeaks Founder Faces Final U.K. Appeal to Avoid U.S. Extradition | DN | 02/21/24 | 16:14
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Wednesday, Febuary 21 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. "Political Prosecution": WikiLeaks' Julian Assange Faces Final U.K. Appeal to Avoid U.S. Extradition
  3. "Moral Failure": Democrats Rep. Khanna & Michigan State Rep. Aiyash Urge Biden to Change Gaza Policy
  4. Colonialism, Occupation & Apartheid: African Countries See "Shared Experiences" with Palestinians
Bombshell court ruling signals disaster for Trump in November | btc | 02/20/24 | 15:00
The1a.org
Low demand for commercial office space fuels economic fears | PBS News | 02/20/24 | 8:10

Tuesday Febuary 20, 2024

How Wall Street banks fought to keep control of a profitable but secretive trading business
Axios | Matt Phillips | 02/20/24

Court documents reviewed by Axios show just how alarmed Wall Street banks were by efforts to regulate their derivatives trading desks after the 2008 financial crisis.

Why it matters: These emails, presentations and internal memos illuminate the financial sector's attempts to shape the rules and shield key profit centers - a technique alive and well today. They were produced during discovery in an ongoing litigation and later seen by Axios.

Flashback: When the Dodd-Frank financial overhaul became law in 2010, a major part of it directed agencies to write rules for the previously unregulated Wall Street derivatives trading business.

Depending on how they were written, these rules threatened to transform the banks' highly profitable interest rate swap business into a low-margin business akin to stock market-style exchange trading. ... ... Read more

The $160 trillion market for U.S.-dollar interest rate swaps — contractual bets on the direction of interest rates - is one of the largest markets in the world.
Alexei Navalny, born 1976, was a lawyer by training who first started to gain prominence in 2009 for publishing investigations of corruption by state-owned firms such as Gazprom and oil giant Rosneft. As detailed by UK news channel ITV, the past decade of his life has been marked by political activism, with multiple stints in prison under various charges, from embezzlement and fraud to extremism. Navalny was Putin’s most prominent opposition figure domestically and led major anti-government protests across Russia.
Watch Rachel Maddow Highlights: Feb. 19
Watch Rachel Maddow Highlights: Feb. 19 | MSNBC | 02/20/24 | 20:23
Stephen's Public Service Announcement: "This Is F***ed Up" | The Late Show | 02/16/24 | 11:02
Top U.S. & World Headlines - February 20, 2024 | 01/20/24 | 12:44
"No Doubt" That Alexei Navalny Was Killed, Says Masha Gessen | DN | 02/19/24 | 17:14
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Tuesday, Febuary 24 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. "Borders on Pathological": Trump Must Pay $450 Million for Lying to Lenders in Fraud Case
  3. More Than 50 Countries Argue Before World Court Against Israeli Occupation of Palestine
  4. "What I Saw Wasn't War - It Was Annihilation," Says U.S. Doctor Who Volunteered in Gaza Hospital
Bombshell court ruling signals disaster for Trump in November | btc | 02/20/24 | 15:00
The1a.org
'So grotesque': Joe slams Trump for comparing himself to Navalny | Joe MSNBC | 02/20/24 | 10:29
Joe: Trump, Johnson are what stands between Congress passing or not passing Ukraine aid | Joe MSNBC | 02/20/24 | 10:48

Monday Febuary 19, 2024

Storm-hit California faces fresh atmospheric river flood threat
Axios | Rebecca Falconer | 02/19/24

The U.S. West Coast faces a fresh round of heavy rainfall and snow this week, as another atmospheric river began slamming California on Sunday - bringing with it the threat of flooding, mudslides and possibly tornadoes.

The big picture: Flood watches stretched across much of California's coast, as rainfall began to hit northern coastal area Sunday afternoon and began spreading south by the evening. ... Read more

Tlaib calls to vote against Biden in Michigan primary
Axios | Andrew Solender | 02/19/24

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) on Saturday urged Michigan Democrats to vote "uncommitted" in the state's Feb. 27 primary rather than for President Biden.

Why it matters: It marks an escalation in the rupture between Biden and his party's most left-wing members over his administration's support of Israel.

Driving the news: In a video posted to social media by Listen to Michigan, a campaign to get Michigan Democrats to vote "uncommitted," Tlaib said "it is important, as you all know, to not only march ... [but] to create a voting bloc."

"We don't want a country that supports war and bombs and destruction," the Palestinian-American congresswoman said. "This is the way you can raise our voices. Don't make us even more invisible." ... Read more

Why no one is winning the war in Ukraine
Why no one is winning the war in Ukraine | TheGuardian | 02/19/24 | 3:51
What the fall of Avdiivka means for Ukraine
What the fall of Avdiivka means for Ukraine, Russia and the war | DW News | 02/19/24 | 5:30
Alexey Navalny and Putin's history of suspected poisonings and crackdowns
Alexey Navalny and Putin's history of suspected poisonings and crackdowns | 60 Minutes | 02/18/24 | 54:00
According to mortality trends collected among 719,147 veterans and lifestyle factors assessed among 276,132, being physically active lowered the risk of death among the sample population the most - by 46 percent

The recommendation here is to stick to healthy plant-based foods instead of just any.

The study also shows how combining different lifestyle factors can add up.
Top U.S. & World Headlines - February 19, 2024 | 01/19/24 | 13:43
Israel Raids Nasser Hospital, Arrests Staff in Latest Assault on Gaza Medical System | DN | 02/19/24 | 13:48
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Monday, Febuary 19 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. "Like Horror Movies": Forced to Evacuate Nasser Hospital, Surgeon Describes Israeli Raid & Arrests
  3. "3 Days of Hell": Israel Raids Nasser Hospital, Arrests Staff in Latest Assault on Gaza Medical System
  4. Russian Dissident Alexei Navalny Dies in Arctic Prison; "No Doubt" He Was Killed, Says Masha Gessen
Tucker Carlson suffers Stunning humiliation | btc | 02/19/24 | 14:28
Prosecutor who BEAT Trump gives him BAD NEWS as trial looms | btc | 02/19/24 | 19:40
If Democracy Falls - How Long Before We Can Get It Back? | Thom Hartmann | 01/19/24 | 3:53
The1a.org
PBS News Weekend full episode, Feb. 17, 2024 | PBS | 02/18/24 | 26:45
Trump fake elector in Wisconsin describes how he says he was tricked | 60 Minutes | 02/19/24 | 13:22

Friday Febuary 16, 2024

Putin critic Alexei Navalny has died, Russia's prison service says
Axios | Dave Lawler | 02/16/24

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has died, according to a statement from Russia's prison service.

The big picture: Navalny, 47, was imprisoned after exposing rampant corruption in Vladimir Putin's inner circle and forming the most effective political movement opposing the Russian leader. His death, if confirmed, has happened in the custody of the Russian state that persecuted him relentlessly.

Driving the news: Vice President Harris said Friday ahead of a speech at the Munich Security Conference that the U.S. was working to confirm the "terrible news" that Navalny had died.

Navalny's wife Yulia told the conference in Munich that if it was true her husband was dead, "I want Putin, his entourage, Putin's friends and his government to know they will be held responsible for what they have done to our country, my family, and my husband." ... Read more

Kansas City Shooting
Kansas City Shooting Highlights Missouri's Pro-Gun Laws in "Pro-Life" State | DN | 02/16/24 | 12:16

How Gaza's 'safe' city Rafah came to be on the precipice of catastrophe - visualised
TheGUardian | Ashley Kirk, Harvey Symons, Paul Scruton and Elena Morresi | 02/16/24

Last October, following the Hamas attacks, Israel's military delivered evacuation orders for many of Gaza’s 2.3 million people, telling them to head south for their own safety.

Multiple evacuation orders ensued, and it is now estimated that more than 1.5 million Palestinians are taking refuge in and around the southern city of Rafah, vastly swelling its pre-war population of 280,000.

Many of those now in Rafah, which sits on Gaza's southern border with Egypt, are living in temporary accommodation. Satellite imagery from Planet Labs, dated from 13 October and 14 January, shows a significant increase in tents around the city. ... Read more

Russia's Gazprom - Corrupt politicians and the greed of the west
Russia's Gazprom - Corrupt politicians and the greed of the west | DW Documentary | 02/10/24 | 50:35
Top U.S. & World Headlines - February 16, 2024 | 01/16/24 | 12:00
"I Died That Day in Parkland": Campaign Uses AI-Generated Voices of Gun Victims to Call Congress | DN | 02/16/24 | 7:53
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Friday, Febuary 16 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. "It is Absolutely the Guns": Brittney Packnett Cunningham on U.S. Gun Violence & Kansas City Mass Shooting
  3. "Shotline": New Campaign Uses AI to Voice Calls to Lawmakers from Victims of Gun Violence
  4. Australia Ramps Up Pressure on U.S. to Free Julian Assange Ahead of Critical Court Hearing
  5. Hind Rajab's Death Highlights Israel's Targeting of Civilians, Medical Personnel
Trump gets the news he's dreaded in criminal trial | btc | 02/16/24 | 13:02
Trump PANICS, gets lost in CONFUSED rant at his OWN rally | btc | 02/16/24 | 8:36
The1a.org
Ex-Trump advisor gives stark warning: Donald Trump is unfit to be President again | MSNBC | 02/11/24 | 10:21

Wed,Thu Febuary 14,15 2024

Why John Bolton Is Certain Trump Really Wants to Blow Up NATO
Axios | Kelly Garrity | 02/14/24

John Bolton doesn't really buy Donald Trump's story about telling an unnamed head of state he would encourage Russia to do "whatever the hell they want" to countries that didn't meet NATO's defense spending standards.

But he does think the former president's threats - and his desire to abandon the alliance - are chillingly real.

"Look, I was there when he almost withdrew, and he's not negotiating," said Bolton, who served as Trump's national security adviser. "His goal here is not to strengthen NATO, it's to lay the groundwork to get out."

Bolton, one of the loudest critics to emerge from the Trump White House, has long expressed dismay at Trump’s tenure. In his post-mortem book, "The Room Where it Happened," he portrayed Trump as unfamiliar with basic facts and driven, above all, by a desire to win another term. In Bolton's telling, it's no different with Trump's recent comments about NATO. ... Read more

Trump says he purposefully mixes up politicians' names... Yah, right!!!!!!!

Trump's billion-dollar man: Chris LaCivita will steer spending by campaign, RNC
Axios | Sophia Cai,Alex Thompson | 02/15/24

Chris LaCivita, a Trump campaign senior adviser, is in line to take over a GOP operation expected to spend $1 billion on the '24 race - effectively merging Donald Trump's campaign with the Republican National Committee, and enhancing his already tight grip on the party.

Why it matters: Trump's move to have LaCivita, one of his campaign's top two officials, also serve as the RNC's chief operating officer will make the two entities "a distinction without a difference," one senior Trump adviser told Axios. ... Read more

Another mass shooting
Another mass shooting, this time in Kansas City Missouri. At least one person died and 22 were wounded during a shooting at the parade celebrating Sunday Super Bowl victory by the Kansas City Chiefs.
To make these sums more relatable, we have broken down their profits to a shorter time scale: net income per second. Based on Apple's net profits from October 2022 to September 2023, the company earned $3,074 per second during this period. Next up are Microsoft and Alphabet, with $2,443 and $2,115 in profits generated every second, respectively, followed by Meta ($942) and Amazon ($636).
Top U.S. & World Headlines - February 15, 2024 | 01/15/24 | 10:23
Top U.S. & World Headlines - February 14, 2024 | 01/14/24 | 14:13
Biden Pushes House to Approve Bill with $14B in Military Aid to Israel, Cuts UNRWA Funding | DN | 02/15/24 | 6:38
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Thu Febuary 15 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. Doctor Reports on Bombing of Nasser Hospital Just Before Israeli Troops Storm Complex
  3. "I Always Imagine Myself Being Blown Up": Journalist in Rafah on Dire Situation as Invasion Looms
  4. Kenneth Roth: Only Joe Biden Has Power to Stop "Massive Bloodshed" of a Rafah Invasion
  5. "Obscene": Biden Pushes House to Approve Bill with $14B in Military Aid to Israel, Cuts UNRWA Funding
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Wed Febuary 14 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. "Dead-End Strategy": GOP Impeaches Mayorkas as Democrats Push Hard-Line Border & Immigration Policy
  3. “A War Against Palestinian Americans”: Jailed, Attacked, Killed in West Bank and U.S.
Republicans advance dangerous scheme we've been dreading | btc | 02/15/24 | 11:32
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Mon&Tues Febuary 12,13 2024

Trump crosses NATO's red line with threat to "encourage" Russian attack
Axios | Zachary Basu | 02/13/24

Former President Trump's incendiary comments about NATO this weekend represent the most belligerent public posture he's taken against the Western alliance in his eight years as a politician.

Why it matters: In Europe, where the war in Ukraine is approaching its second anniversary, Trump's remarks supercharged the existing angst among NATO leaders who fear his potential return to the White House.

At a rally in South Carolina on Saturday, Trump claimed he told the president of an unidentified NATO member that he would "encourage" Russia "to do whatever the hell they want" to that NATO nation if it were behind on its defense obligations. ... Read more

How the push to limit Chinese biotech could threaten U.S. edge
Axios | Alison Snyder | 02/12/23

Efforts in Congress to restrict U.S. market access for Chinese biotech companies and investors face a central dilemma: They could disrupt key relationships and supply chains U.S. life sciences companies rely on.

Why it matters: Bipartisan consensus for action is growing amid deteriorated U.S.-China relations, but it's running into the reality that they'll have to balance moves to address U.S. national security concerns with the risk of setting back companies that underpin the country's competitive edge.

The "geopolitics and trade and investment parts of the U.S.-China relationship are on totally different planes," says Scott Michael Moore, director of China Programs and Strategic Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania. ... Read more

Chris Wallace DESTROYS former colleague Tucker Carlson | btc | 02/11/24 | 8:22
Vladimir Putin-Tucker Carlson's Most Scandalous Interview | Shocking Confessions Rock the World |TOI | 02/10/24 | 2:05:51
Trump faces potentially crippling week of legal penalties | MSNBC | 02/10/24 | 8:38
Supreme Court hears Trump ballot eligibility case | Special Report | CBS | 02/09/24 | 2:49:36

Trump to attend N.Y. criminal trial hearing on Thursday
Axios | Erin Doherty | 02/13/24

Former President Trump is expected to be in New York on Thursday for a hearing in his criminal trial over a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, his attorney Steve Sadow said.

Why it matters: The plan means that Trump will not attend a hearing on the same day in Fulton County over misconduct allegations against the prosecutors overseeing his Georgia 2020 election case. ... Read more

Top U.S. & World Headlines - February 13, 2024 | 01/13/24 | 9:32
Top U.S. & World Headlines - February 12, 2024 | 01/12/24 | 13:20
Climate Scientist Defeats Deniers, Hopes to Empower Others to Speak Out on Global Crisis in Media | DN | 02/13/24 | 12:21
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Tuesday, Febuary 13 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. Could Indonesia Return to Military Rule? Allan Nairn on the "Massacre General" Running for President
  3. Bombs, Disease, Starvation: Canadian Doctor Describes the Desperate Situation Inside Gaza
  4. Climate Scientist Michael Mann Wins $1 Million Defamation Case Against Right-Wing Climate Deniers
  5. The Climate Election: Mark Hertsgaard on Why 2024 Must Focus More on Climate Crisis
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Monday, Febuary 12 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. "Our Children Deserve to Live": Mother in Rafah Desperate to Escape as Israel Prepares Ground Invasion
  3. "Worst-Case Scenario": Noura Erakat on Israel's Looming Invasion of Rafah
  4. Race, Gender, Class: Bishop Barber, Economist Michael Zweig on Poor & Low-Wage Voters in 2024 Election
  5. Bishop William Barber on the "Moral Case for a Ceasefire" in Gaza
Trump reaches CRUCIAL deadline in court | btc | 02/13/24 | 14:12
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Watch Rachel Maddow Highlights: Feb. 12 | MSNBC | 02/12/24 | 20:28

Friday Febuary 09, 2024

Biden: "I am an elderly man ... I know what the hell I'm doing"
Axios | Alex Thompson,Hans Nichols | 02/09/24

For years now, President Biden's advisers have carefully choreographed his every move to avoid what exploded into view over six hours Thursday: a vivid display of an elderly, irritable man struggling on a public stage.

Why it matters: Days after repeatedly referencing talks with dead world leaders, Biden, 81, went before cameras to bash a just-released special counsel's report that portrayed him as feeble and forgetful - and then confused Egypt's president with Mexico's.

Biden's hastily arranged nighttime remarks came after the special counsel's report said he wouldn't be charged for having classified documents, but blistered him as "an elderly man with a poor memory" - a political indictment sure to resonate through the 2024 campaign. ... Read more

Netanyahu's War on the Truth
The Intercept | Jeremy Scahill | 02/07/24

Israel's Ruthless Propaganda Campaign to Dehumanize Palestinians

TWO WEEKS BEFORE Hamas commandos led a series of raids into Israel on October 7, Benjamin Netanyahu stood before an empty chamberOpens in a new tab at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. The Israeli prime minister brandished a map of what he promised could be the "New Middle East." It depicted a state of Israel that stretched continuously from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. On this map, Gaza and the West Bank were erased. Palestinians did not exist.

"What a historic change for my country! You see, the land of Israel is situated on the crossroads between Africa, Asia, and Europe," Netanyahu bellowedOpens in a new tab at a handful of spectators in the large hall, nearly all of whom were his loyalists or underlings. "For centuries, my country was repeatedly invaded by empires passing through it in their campaigns of plunder and conquest elsewhere. But today, as we tear down walls of enmity, Israel can become a bridge of peace and prosperity between these continents." ... Read more

The Anti-Trump Republicans
The Anti-Trump Republicans: A Data Breakdown | WSJ | 02/03/24 | 5:01
Top U.S. & World Headlines - February 09, 2024 | 01/09/24 | 10:46
Michigan Arab & Muslim Leaders Press White House for Ceasefire in Gaza | DN | 02/09/24 | 11:28
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Friday, Febuary 09 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. Ex-UNRWA Official: Funding Cuts Make Donor Countries Complicit in Starvation of Gaza
  3. Senegal's "Unraveling": President's Delay of Election Is Latest in String of Anti-Democratic Actions
  4. "Io Capitano": Oscar-Nominated Film Dramatizes Perilous Migrant Journey from West Africa to Europe
Trump SCREWS himself with DAMNING public confession | btc | 02/08/24 | 8:01
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Guess Which SCOTUS Justices Believe Trump Is Still President...? | Thom Hartmann | 01/08/24 | 9:14 Insurrection Debate! Was Trump's January 6th Riot Really an Attempt To Overthrow America? | Thom Hartmann | 01/08/24 | 6:36 Is Trump An Officer of the United States & the Three Questions That Will Decide 2024 Election | Thom Hartmann | 01/08/24 | 2:34 Why Justice Thomas' Yacht Might Be Repossessed! & How It Proves SCOTUS is Corrupt... | Thom Hartmann | 01/08/24 | 3:17

Thurs,Fri February 08,09 2024

Special counsel report questions Biden's memory
Axios | Erin Doherty, Alex Thompson | 02/08/24

Special counsel Robert Hur is not bringing charges following his investigation into President Biden's handling of classified documents, but wrote in a report released Thursday that Biden's actions presented "serious risks to national security."

Why it matters: The report ends a year-long and sprawling investigation but also concluded that Biden "willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen."

The Trump team will likely try to use the report's findings to try to minimize the felony charges he faces over his post-presidency handling of classified documents. ... Read more

Does Justice Brett Kavanaugh Think Trump Can Be Prosecuted?
MotherJones | Stephanie Mencimer | 02/08/24

The Supreme Court on Thursday heard oral arguments in a case brought by voters in Colorado seeking to bounce former President Donald Trump from the state ballot on the grounds that he engaged in insurrection. The justices—including most of the court’s liberals—seemed generally hostile to Colorado voters’ arguments and largely unwilling to permit the Colorado Supreme Court to deprive Americans the chance to elect the candidate of their choosing.

... Justice Brett Kavanaugh suggested that there was another, less complicated way to keep someone with Trump's record off the ballot. "If the concern you have is that insurrectionists should not be able to hold federal office," Kavanaugh said, "there is a tool to ensure that that does not happen, namely, federal prosecution of insurrectionists. And if convicted, Congress made clear you are automatically barred from holding a federal office."

In August, in a case brought by special counsel Jack Smith, a federal grand jury indicted Trump on four charges related to the events of January 6. In response, Trump has claimed that, because he was president at the time, he is immune to criminal prosecution. On Tuesday, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Trump is absolutely not immune from criminal prosecution for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election. Trump has until February 12 to ask the Supreme Court to hear the case if he wants to try to halt his criminal trial from moving forward. ... Read more

Donald Trump and His Boomer Base
The Intercept | James Risen | 02/05/24

WHEN THE OBITUARY of the baby-boom generation is finally written, they'll have to mention Donald Trump in the very first paragraph to explain how a cohort that began with such idealism and promise turned so toxic.

The generation that took to the streets in anti-war protests and civil rights demonstrations in the 1960s and championed the environmental and women's movements in the 1970s has now retreated to right-wing retirement enclaves in Florida, where Fox News is always on in the background. ... Read more

Top U.S. & World Headlines - February 08, 2024 | 01/08/24 | 9:36
Ex-UNRWA Official: Funding Cuts Make Donor Countries Complicit in Starvation of Gaza | DN | 02/08/24 | 18:23
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Thursday, Febuary 08 (FULL) | 59:02
Note: on the full 59:02 video look for small white (or black) circles on the Progressbar they denote the different news stories. You can move the pointer on the Progressbar to jump to each story, and around the video.
  1. Headlines
  2. Ex-UNRWA Official: Funding Cuts Make Donor Countries Complicit in Starvation of Gaza
  3. Senegal's "Unraveling": President's Delay of Election Is Latest in String of Anti-Democratic Actions
  4. "Io Capitano": Oscar-Nominated Film Dramatizes Perilous Migrant Journey from West Africa to Europe
MAGA: If This Happens We'll Have Civil War | TYT | 02/08/24 | 5:10
The1a.org
PBS NewsHour full episode, Feb. 7, 2024 | PBS Newshour | 02/08/24 | 56:45

Wednesday Febuary 07, 2024

"Maddening": Epic double debacle stings House GOP
Axios | Andrew Solender & Juliegrace Brufke | 02/07/24

It's 10 minutes of humiliation that will live in House lore. Even in an era of ousted speakers and wild, daily internal disarray, Tuesday night's back-to-back defeats for House Republicans were epic.

  1. Speaker Mike Johnson lost by one vote - a Republican vote! - the first impeachment of a Cabinet official in 148 years.
  2. The Israel vote was an important House GOP counter-measure as the Senate struggles to pass a bill to fund Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan and border security. The final Israel vote was 250 for and 180 against, which fell short of the two-thirds majority needed for passage. 14 Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the bill. 46 Democrats voted for the bill.
... Read more

65,000 Pregnancies a Result of Rape Since End of Roe in States That Now Ban Abortion |DN | 01/26/24 | article |

Middle East crisis live: Hamas peace proposal is 135-day ceasefire, return of all hostages and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, reports say
TheGuardian | | 02/07/24

Hamas has proposed a ceasefire of four-and-a-half months, during which all hostages would go free, Israel would withdraw its troops from the Gaza Strip and an agreement would be reached on an end to the war, according to a document seen by Reuters.

The group's proposal is a response to an offer sent last week by Qatari and Egyptian mediators.

The Hamas offer, in a document seen by Reuters and confirmed by sources, appears to include Hamas's longstanding demand for a full end to the war as a pre-condition before releasing hostages it seized on 7 October.

A second source said Hamas still wanted guarantees from Qatar, Egypt and other states that the ceasefire would be upheld and not collapse as soon as hostages go free. ... Read more

Under an agreement between HHS and Pfizer, Medicare and Medicaid enrollees can receive Paxlovid for free through 2024, and uninsured individuals can receive Paxlovid for free through 2028.

Biden admin officials push pharmacy execs on Paxlovid costs
Axios | Tina Reed | 02/07/24

Biden administration officials this week pushed executives from leading pharmacy chains to make sure frontline staff are providing patients with accurate information about costs of the COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid, officials told Axios first.

Why it matters: Uptake of the Pfizer antiviral has remained stubbornly low since it transitioned to the commercial market in the fall, in part because of patients sometimes being charged up to the full list price of $1,400. ... Read more

Top U.S. & World Headlines - February 07, 2024 | 01/07/24 | 13:29
Jeremy Scahill on Israel's "Deliberate Propaganda Campaign" | DN | 02/07/24 | 17:00
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Wednes, Febuary 07 (FULL) | 59:02
Note: on the full 59:02 video look for small white (or black) circles on the Progressbar they denote the different news stories. You can move the pointer on the Progressbar to jump to each story, and around the video.
  1. Headlines
  2. Former Israeli Negotiator Daniel Levy: Only U.S. Pressure on Israel Can End Gaza Assault, Lead to Truce
  3. Jeremy Scahill: Israel Has Waged a “Deliberate Propaganda Campaign” to Justify Brutal Gaza Assault
The return of wars, explained | Yuval Noah Harari | Yuval Noah Harari | 11/17/23 | 9:09
The1a.org

Mon, Tues Febuary 05,06 2024

Appeals court rejects Trump's presidential immunity claim in Jan. 6 case
Axios | Erin Doherty | 02/06/24

A federal appeals court said Tuesday that former President Trump is not immune from prosecution in his federal 2020 election trial.

Why it matters: The decision is a setback for the former president, who has argued that he is immune from prosecution over his alleged efforts to subvert the 2020 election results.

Driving the news: "For the purpose of this criminal case, former President Trump has become citizen Trump, with all of the defenses of any other criminal defendant," the three-judge panel wrote in a Tuesday filing.

"But any executive immunity that may have protected him while he served as president no longer protects him against this prosecution." ... Read more

What to know about Trump's immunity claims in the 2020 election cases
Axios | Jacob Knutson | 02/06/24

A federal appeals court has rejected former President Trump's claims of "absolute immunity" from charges that he plotted to overturn the 2020 election.

Why it matters: The precedent set by his case will have bearing on executive power and how presidents may be held accountable for abusing it.

He is the first former president to have been denied immunity from criminal charges, though that's primarily because no other sitting or former president has been charged with a crime.

The Supreme Court previously rejected special counsel Jack Smith's request to quickly rule on Trump's immunity claims, forcing the immunity question to go through normal federal judicial proceedings. ... Read more

A second atmospheric river rainstorm in a week is moving across California and has been causing landslides, downpours and high winds of hurricane strengths that toppled trees in some locations. Conditions could persist until mid-week as the storm is now projected to move across the state slower than originally expected.
Top U.S. & World Headlines - February 06, 2024 | 01/06/24 | 13:15
Top U.S. & World Headlines - February 05, 2024 | 01/05/24 | 12:46
After Losing Nearly 100 Relatives in Gaza, Palestinian American Doctor Refuses to Meet with Blinken | DN | 02/05/24 | 10:20
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Tuesday, Febuary 06 (FULL) | 59:02
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  1. Headlines
  2. Dissent Grows Inside Biden Administration over Gaza Policy as Blinken Holds Talks in Middle East
  3. "Unconscionable": American Pediatrician Who Worked in Gaza Hospital Recalls Horrors of Israel’s War
Appeals court hits Trump with ruling he's been dreading | btc | 02/06/24 | 9:03
The1a.org




02.10.2011. 07:16



Special Interest Important stuff
GOOD Shorts Videos

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GOOD Short Videos
Newer Documentaries You Might Not Have Seen

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Lindsey Graham Mashups
Lindsey Graham

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said the quiet part aloud on why he’s still so close to former President Donald Trump: because we can use him for our goals. "President Trump has gotten people who wouldn't give me or Romney or anybody else the time of day. They believe he is on their side," the senator told the America First Agenda Summit crowd on Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

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Environment & Climate Change
Environment

The term "climate change" is often used to refer specifically to anthropogenic climate change (also known as global warming). Anthropogenic climate change is caused by human activity, as opposed to changes in climate that may have resulted as part of Earth's natural processes.

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AI - Artificial Intelligence | Machine Learning | Deep Learning
AI - Artificial Intelligence

AIArtificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence demonstrated by machines, as opposed to the natural intelligence displayed by animals including humans. AI research has been defined as the field of study of intelligent agents, which refers to any system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chance of achieving its goals.

The term "artificial intelligence" had previously been used to describe machines that mimic and display "human" cognitive skills that are associated with the human mind, such as "learning" and "problem-solving". This definition has since been rejected by major AI researchers who now describe AI in terms of rationality and acting rationally, which does not limit how intelligence can be articulated.
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Quantum mechanics | AI - Artificial Intelligence
Quantum mechanics

Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles.  It is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, quantum field theory, quantum technology, and quantum information science.
Classical physics, the collection of theories that existed before the advent of quantum mechanics, describes many aspects of nature at an ordinary (macroscopic) scale, but is not sufficient for describing them at small (atomic and subatomic) scales. Most theories in classical physics can be derived from quantum mechanics as an approximation valid at large (macroscopic) scale.
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Economy, Wall Street and Banksters

Wall Street and Banksters

Wall Street is an eight-block-long street running roughly northwest to southeast from Broadway to South Street, at the East River, in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, the American financial services industry (even if financial firms are not physically located there), or New York-based financial interests.

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Intelligence Agencies/Deep State?

Intelligence Agencies/Deep State?

An intelligence agency is a government agency responsible for the collection, analysis, and exploitation of information in support of law enforcement, national security, military, and foreign policy objectives. Means of information gathering are both overt and covert and may include espionage, communication interception, cryptanalysis,.

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Daniel Ellsberg | Pentagon Papers
Daniel Ellsberg

Daniel Ellsberg and Paul Jay explore Ellsberg's latest book, The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner. In the introduction to the book, Ellsberg writes: "No policies in human history have more deserved to be recognized as immoral or insane. The story of how this calamitous predicament came about and how and why it has persisted over a half a century is a chronicle of human madness".

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Nukes
Nukes

Nuclear weapons have come a long way and come in all types of different sizes. Some are relatively small while others are enormous, so big they boggle the mind at what they can be capable of, i.e. the Soviet 'Tsar Bomba' is/was 3,000 times greater than the Hiroshima bomb.

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Rana Foroohar and Fall of American Business
Rana Foroohar

Ms. Foroohar says financialization delivers stagnant wages, inequality and economic crisis; the Financial Times columnist and author of "Makers and Takers" says the financial sector represents only 7 percent of the U.S. economy, but takes around 25 percent of all corporate profit while creating only 4 percent of all jobs.

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The Untold History of the United States by Oliver Stone & Petere Kuznick

The Untold History of the United States by Oliver Stone & Petere Kuznick | 2014 | 10 Episodes

Oliver Stone and American University historian Peter J. Kuznick began working on the project in 2008. Stone, Kuznick and British screenwriter Matt Graham cowrote the script. It covers "the reasons behind the Cold War with the Soviet Union, U.S. President Harry Truman's decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan, and changes in America's global role since the fall of Communism." Stone is the director and narrator of all ten episodes.

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Kuznick Interviews

Kuznick Interviews

Historian Peter Kuznick says Eisenhower called for decreased militarization, then Dulles reversed the policy; the Soviets tried to end the cold war after the death of Stalin; crazy schemes involving nuclear weapons and the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba put the world of the eve of destruction - with host Paul Jay

The Untold History of the United States by Kuznick, Peter.mobi | Book | 6.99 MB

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China Valley of Tunnels

China Valley of Tunnels

A report written by a Georgetown University team led by Phillip Karber conducted a three-year study to map out China’s complex tunnel system, which stretches 5,000 km (3,000 miles). The report determined that the stated Chinese nuclear arsenal is understated and as many as 3,000 nuclear warheads may be stored in the underground tunnel network.

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911
911

On September 11, 2001, 19 terrorists attacked the Unites States. They hijacked four airplanes in mid-flight. The terrorists flew two of the planes into two skyscrapers at the World Trade Center in New York City. The impact caused the buildings to catch fire and collapse. Another plane destroyed part of the Pentagon (the U.S. military headquarters) in Arlington, Virginia. The fourth plane crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Officials believe that the terrorists on that plane intended to destroy either the White House or the U.S. Capitol. Passengers on the plane fought the terrorists and prevented them from reaching their goal. In all, nearly 3,000 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks.

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The Vietnam War

The Vietnam War

Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's ten-part, 18-hour documentary series, THE VIETNAM WAR, tells the epic story of one of the most consequential, divisive, and controversial events in American history as it has never before been told on film. Visceral and immersive, the series explores the human dimensions of the war through revelatory testimony of nearly 80 witnesses from all sides--Americans who fought in the war and others who opposed it, as well as combatants and civilians from North and South Vietnam. Ten years in the making, the series includes rarely seen and digitally re-mastered archival footage from sources around the globe, photographs taken by some of the most celebrated photojournalists of the 20th Century, historic television broadcasts, evocative home movies, and secret audio recordings from inside the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations.

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Trump's Mashups
Trump's Mashups

Donald Trump talks a lot, but what is he actually saying? VICE News' "Trump Talk" mashup series tries to answer that. And, we're happy to say, it was just nominated for two Webby Awards. Now you can watch all the nominated videos.

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Trump's Sexcapades
Trump's Sexcapades.

Jessica Leeds (1980s)
Kristin Anderson (1990s)
E. Jean Carroll (1995 or 1996)
Lisa Boyne (1996)
Cathy Heller (1997)
Temple Taggart McDowell (1997)
Karena Virginia (1998)
Mindy McGillivray (2003)
Jennifer Murphy (2005)
Rachel Crooks (2005)
Natasha Stoynoff (2005)
Juliet Huddy (2005 or 2006)
Jessica Drake (2006)
Ninni Laaksonen (2006)
Cassandra Searles (2013)
Allegations of pageant dressing room visits(1997)
Mariah Billado,
Victoria Hughes,
and three other Miss Teen USA contestants
Bridget Sullivan (2000)
Tasha Dixon (2001)
Unnamed contestants (2001)
Samantha Holvey (2006)

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Trump's Speeches | Rallys |Interviews
Trump's Speeches | Rallys

Donald Trump talks a lot, but what is he actually saying? Watch Trump at some of his rallys and see what you think.

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