This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 755 donors have already invested in our efforts to combat corruption and predatory conduct, particularly in the financial realm. Please join us and participate via our donation page, which shows how to give via check, credit card, debit card, or PayPal. Read about why we’re doing this fundraiser and what we’ve accomplished in the last year, and our current goal, funding comments section support.
NASA news: Watch the moment Space Station astronauts return to Earth in video Express (furzy)
My Community Is Warming Three Times Faster Than the Rest of the World Vice (resilc)
University of Alberta top official resigns after ‘inexplicable’ climate change billboard Globe and Mail
Populations of UK’s most important wildlife have plummeted since 1970 Guardian (Kevin W) 🙁
Could this plastic-eating enzyme be the miracle solution to our plastic problem? Fast Company (David L)
‘I was born without my right hand and use duct tape to play guitar’ Boing Boing (resilc)
Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Greta Thunberg New Republic
Nationalism Is an Environmental Disaster Vice (resilc)
If Each of Us Planted a Tree, Would It Slow Global Warming? Wired (David L, Robert M)
Audio@shows hospital kept patient on life support to improve stats ProPublica
Yuval Noah Harari Is Worried About Our Souls GetPocket (David L)
Brexit
Impossible to remain upbeat when Tory MPs wang on about a deal which does not exist for reasons that make no sense on the basis of a document which contradicts the manner in which it is sold.
— Ian Dunt (@IanDunt) October 3, 2019
PM to make whirlwind trip to EU capitals to sell his Brexit plan Guardian
MONEY CAN’T BUY EU LOVE Brexit – Boris Johnson pleads with EU chiefs to shift after making big money offer to Ireland to seal 11th hour deal The Sun. What about ‘no’ don’t you understand? Either Boris is a great actor or he really convinced himself that the EU would buckle despite all evidence.
‘Not even remotely acceptable’: European parliament says it will veto Boris Johnson’s Brexit plan Independent
Syraqistan
Gunfights Rage as Iraq Protests Grow Nationwide Antiwar (resilc)
Big Brother Is Watching You Watch
How to Set Your Google Data to Self-Destruct New York Times
EU Court: Facebook Can Be Forced To Remove Content Worldwide Associated Press
EFF Wins Access To License Plate Reader Data To Study Law Enforcement Use Electronic Frontier Foundation
Trump Transition
President Delivers Remarks and Signs Executive Order on Medicare C-SPAN (Kevin C)
Trump promotes private Medicare coverage, drawing contrast with Democrats’ health care plans Politico (resilc)
They’re Retired. They’re Insured. The Government Pays for It. And Trump Loves It. ProPublica (UserFriendly). More on Medicare Advantage plans.
The Dereliction of William Barr New Republic. Wowsers: “It takes a special kind of attorney general to make Jeff Sessions seem scrupulous.”
For Trump, Regime Change Begins at Home LobeLog (resilc)
Trump’s Big Mouth American Conservative
Why It’s So Hard to Build Trust In Government Washington Monthly (resilc). How about 40 years of conservative marketing that government = theft?
A Broken System Helped the FCC Kill Net Neutrality. It Afflicts the Whole Government. Slate (Kevin W)
Impeachment
Both sides dig in after marathon Trump-Ukraine briefing The Hill
Trump raised Biden with Xi in June call housed in highly secure server CNN. Earlier than the Ukraine call.
Schiff: Trump requests to China, Ukraine are ‘fundamental breach’ of office The Hill
Mike Pence Took Part in Ukraine Pressure Campaign: WaPo Daily Beast (resilc)
If we legitimize Trump’s behavior, it’ll be open season on our politics – The Washington Post. Resilc: “By the neocon King Kagan, Lord of the Deep State.”
2020
Biden Campaign’s Ukraine Strategy: Don’t Become Hillary 2.0 Vanity Fair (resilc)
Biden’s $15.2 Million Trails Sanders, Buttigieg: Campaign Update Bloomberg. Similar story in Water Cooler, that the moneyed classes are cutting back on pumping air in the Biden balloon.
Billionaires are enemies of the people. https://t.co/zZkIT3QZBh
— Walker Bragman (@WalkerBragman) October 4, 2019
In 2008 Warren quietly wrote a paper saying single-payer is smart but “politically unacceptable.” In 2012, when it was still politically unacceptable, she publicly said she was against single-payer. Then in 2017, when it was finally politically acceptable, she got on board.
— Meagan Day (@meaganmday) October 3, 2019
Bernie Sanders Is Now Facing Something He Hates: Physical Limitations And A Focus On Himself BuzzFeed (UserFriendly)
Why Black Voters Prefer Establishment Candidates Over Liberal Alternatives FiveThirtyEight (UserFriendly)
Military Keynesianism Marches On CounterPunch. Resilc: “Just like the USSR”.
US data crashes stock market, threatens Trump Asia Times
New Cars’ Pedestrian-Safety Features Fail In Deadliest Situations, Study Finds Wall Street Journal
Cable Companies Use Hidden Fees To Raise Prices 24% a Month ars technica
Risky mortgages are exploding again, in echo of buildup to 2008 financial crisis Washington Post (resilc). As we recounted back in the day, the sell side rejected reforms to “private label” mortgages that investors demanded. So that market remains way smaller than it was before the crisis. Fannie and Freddie step in. 30% of mortgages they guaranteed this year have payments >50% of borrower income.
Ivanka Trump and Google’s CEO Announce a Tech Job Training Initiative CNBC
Basic income denied in Ontario openDemocracy. One of the reasons we have not supported a UBI. It is too easily depicted as welfare, which makes it vulnerable to being cut. By contrast, people who choose to work under a Job Guarantee will be providing services, like planting trees, day care, elder care, which will develop constituencies that will defend the program.
Class Warfare
While I am glad this woman had a reversal of fortune, she never should have been homeless in the first place:
Singing homeless woman offered record deal after police video goes viral pic.twitter.com/xlxGBd8H27
— The Independent (@Independent) October 4, 2019
Jeff Hatch Was Dealing Fentanyl. And Helping Addicts. Then a Planned Visit from the VP Blew It All Up Sports Illustrated (bob k)
Republican fail: 40 years of tax cuts, record debt and inequality gap USA Today (UserFriendly). Huh? Things are going according to plan!
A Minneapolis woman’s ‘bizarre and surreal’ decades-long loan dispute MPR News. Chuck L: “College loan horror story.”
Out With ALEC, In With Corporations Writing Their Own Laws American Prospect (resilc). As Lambert would say, “Wonderfully clarifying.”
The Case for Black Optimism Quillette. UserFriendly: “Definitely not buying all of this but there are a few good points. IMO the better metric would be relative rate of change by race.”
Uber Works Officially Launches In Chicago Uber Blog, Joshua C:
My take: Uber’s redefined business model – to become the monopoly provider of all low-skilled precarious work. From ride-share, to food delivery and now service jobs. You no longer have to wait in your car to only pick up strangers or their food on demand, you can now clean their toilet too.
Antidote du jour (furzy):
And a bonus. Today is World Animal Day!
Cuteness overload👌👌😊😊👍👍 pic.twitter.com/s60s3dfxLG
— Perfect Animals (@AdorabIeAnimal) October 4, 2019
See yesterday’s Links and Antidote du Jour here.
