Drive by alligators.
"Jimmy Carter celebrated his 95th birthday on Tuesday, becoming the first U.S. president to reach that milestone as he continues his humanitarian work and occasionally weighs in on politics and policy." Happy birthday, Mr. President.
Okay, you want a real Obama era scandal? "If the FDA ban had gone through, the kid-friendly vaping liquids would have been pushed off store shelves… Instead, over the course of 46 days, a deluge of more than 100 tobacco industry lobbyists and small business advocates met with White House officials as they weighed whether to include the ban as part of a new tobacco control rule… The end result: Senior Obama administration officials nixed the ban and much of the evidence supporting it, according to documents reviewed by the Los Angeles Times." Now, before you get upset (and there is much to be upset over), "The officials told The Times that a cost-benefit analysis suggested the economic burden on vape shops appeared to outweigh potential health benefits of the ban." This is a rule that came into effect in the GHW Bush administration (IIRC). It's also why you can still buy products with aspartame (NutriSweet) in them. Also, while there is some evidence for e-cigs help in getting people to quite smoking, in a lot of cases that's just changing the delivery method and who owns the supply-chain (although being able to dial your nicotine dose has helped those that can "quite slowly"), there is no evidence that e-cigs aren't as dangerous as regular cigarettes (there's also no evidence to the contrary). (Grokked from Kelly Swails)
"If you’re overwhelmed by the prospect of saving for college for your kids, you’re not alone. A third of people are afraid they won’t be able to afford to send their kids to college, according to the most recent Marketplace-Edison Research Poll. That number is even higher among younger generations; closer to 60% for those between 18 and 34." The new American Dream. Also, $2 Trillion (some estimates are higher) is the amount of debt owed for college loans.
"Thankfully, it’s still 2019, so the 235 million to 240 million of us who do not now possess a 'REAL ID' compliant driver’s license still have 365 days, until the Oct. 1, 2020 deadline (2020 is a leap year, so there’s one extra day in it) to get one."
"A list of the 50 most miserable cities includes four from the state of Ohio." Oh look, I live right between 3 of them.
"After over a year of secret construction, Planned Parenthood announced its newest abortion facility on Wednesday: an 18,000-square-foot mega-clinic in southern Illinois. The new location is just 13 miles away from Missouri's last remaining abortion clinic, a facility in St. Louis fighting to keep its license." Reminds me of living near Cincinnati in the 90s where the people there were quite proud to boast of no adult bookstores, strip clubs, and many bars (there were a few, but not as many as other cities). However, you could find all of that literally across the river in Covington. As in, on the street next to the river in Covington.
How goes Brexit? "The offer, the key elements of which have been leaked to the Daily Telegraph's Peter Foster, is quite remarkable in that it appears to actually be designed for the EU to reject it… Every element of the plan runs against the EU's negotiating red lines." Points to rumors about Johnson's connections to people who will profit handsomely in a no-deal-Brexit on Oct 31.
How go the Trade Wars? "The World Trade Organization said Tuesday it expects volumes of traded goods to rise 1.2% this year, far below the 2.6% estimate it issued in April and the weakest since 2009."
"U.S. factory activity hit its lowest level in more than a decade, as President Donald Trump’s trade wars take a toll on American and global manufacturing."
"A surprise contraction in U.S. manufacturing last month knocked the stock market lower Tuesday, erasing an early rally."
"Manufacturing employment growth in Wisconsin and Michigan has already fallen below the 2015 rate. Pennsylvania is dangerously close. At best, this makes it difficult for Trump to claim that his policies have led to a revival. At worst, it suggests that his policies have backfired." I know, try to contain your shock.
"Without people working those overnight and backroom shifts, the backrooms in many Target stores have become overcrowded and, in some cases, unsafe, some workers said. As a result, the daytime workers, whose responsibilities also include helping customers, have been expected to pick up the slack." Welcome to the "do the important work in your spare time" economy. When I was working late night flipping hamburgers, the late night shift was the "manager break-in" shift. And all the new managers would come in with their ideas of how to "fix" the problems of overnight (when we do the prep work and clean the store). Funny how many of them didn't make it to 90 days because of the inefficiencies they imposed. Another symptom of the rise of the MBA manager.
"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a series of final hearings before a decision is made on whether to charge him with corruption." Hang on, we're about to hit turbulence.
"Bolsonaro-backed highway targets heart of Brazil's Amazon."
"A white former Dallas police officer who said she fatally shot her unarmed, black neighbor after mistaking his apartment for her own was found guilty of murder on Tuesday." Actually this IS my shocked face.
"The Federal Communications Commission could dump rules that keep internet providers from favoring some services over others, but couldn’t bar states like California from enacting their own prohibitions, a federal court ruled." So a mixed bag. Can't wait to hear about how the conservatives will try and spin that it should be federally controlled with their stance on states' rights.
After calling Elizabeth Warren an existential threat to Facebook (and his own pocketbook) Zuckerberg said, "'It's just that breaking up these companies, whether it's Facebook or Google or Amazon, is not actually going to solve the issues. And, you know, it doesn't make election interference less likely. It makes it more likely because now the companies can't coordinate and work together.'" Yes, they can't coordinate, that's the point of breaking them up. Facebook is not neutral, they know which side their bread is buttered. Don't expect them to deal with politics evenhandedly (severe side-eye at twitter). (Grokked from Jim Wright)
"Trump tweeted 'billions of dollars' would be saved on military contracts. Then the Pentagon fired the official doing that." (Grokked from Laura J Mixon)
"The impeachment inquiry into President Trump is tangled up in Ukrainian politics, but few Washington reporters understand the dynamics at play. This week, On the Media looks at what we all need to know to make sense of the news. Plus, why there are no whistle-blower protections for those in the intelligence community. And, how the Nixon impeachment makes a case for a more deliberate Trump inquiry." Much recommended listening about the history, the law, Hunter Biden and just WTF is happening in the Ukraine.
"President Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani is still deciding whether he will comply with House Democrats’ subpoena to appear for testimony, and claimed he had 'video tapes' and other 'evidence' he wants to share with Congress." Fuck, I didn't bring enough breadcrumbs for this. (Grokked from Elizabeth Bear)
"President Donald Trump and his GOP allies are making groundless accusations that a whistleblower complaint by a CIA officer was improperly filed because it was not based on first-hand knowledge." Yeah, that's bullshit. Not in the "it's a bad answer", but in the "They’re wrong on multiple fronts."
"Taking a defiant stance in the impeachment inquiry, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday declared that House Democrats are trying to 'intimidate, bully and treat improperly' five current and former career officials in seeking information in the Ukraine investigation." Oh put on your big boy pants, Pompeo. It's just a delay tactic.
"Speaking with Fox News' Laura Ingraham on Tuesday night, Giuliani proposed bringing a lawsuit against House Democrats for investigating the president in the wake of revelations involving Trump's interactions with Ukraine." Talk about your frivolous lawsuits.
"Rudy Giuliani, personal lawyer to Donald Trump and a key figure in the Ukraine scandal, will no longer make a paid appearance at a Russia sponsored conference in Armenia, according to the Washington Post." Sure are a lot of Russians all of a sudden (again). (Waves to our friends in Russia; to my Italian friends, please tell them I said "Hi")
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