@29:14, , 7/8/19

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1

Justice Dept. Seeks to Halt Democrats’ Suit Over Trump’s Profits in Office

Sharon LaFraniere at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 hour ago

The department asked an appeals court for an emergency order halting the emoluments lawsuit as congressional Democrats issued subpoenas to the president’s businesses.

The Executive belongs to Trump.

2 

Representative Justin Amash, Newly Independent, Resigns From Oversight Committee

Emily Cochrane at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 hour ago

After leaving the Republican Party, Mr. Amash withdrew from the committee, most likely pre-empting his removal but depriving Democrats on the panel of their only bipartisan ally.

Inevitably.

3 

Investigation Intensifies Into Top Trump Fund-raiser

Kenneth P. Vogel at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 hour ago

Elliott Broidy, who raised money for Donald J. Trump’s 2016 campaign and his inauguration, is the subject of a wide-ranging inquiry of foreign influence.

Mr Broidy is pursued by Trump. 

4 

Farewell, Swalwell: As One 2020 Democrat Drops Out, Will Others Follow?

Lisa Lerer at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 hour ago

In the On Politics newsletter: Some candidates may be starting to realize time spent lingering at the bottom of the polls could come at a cost back home.

All but one of the contenders will not be the candidate.  

How much dammage they do on the way out is the question. 

5 

Barr Says Legal Path to Census Citizenship Question Exists but Gives No Details

Katie Benner at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 hour ago

The attorney general also acknowledged that career lawyers who had worked on the case had little appetite to continue after the president inserted himself into the issue.

Barr is not talking while the flavor lasts.

It is an empty threat. 

6 

Janne E. Nolan, Principled Adviser on World Affairs, Is Dead at 67

David Stout at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 1 hour ago

Sought out by the White House and the State Department, she stressed the importance of ethics in policymaking and of heeding one’s conscience.

Trump did not talk to her.

7 

Seattle Real Estate in June: Sales down 3.5% YoY, Inventory up 69% YoY from Low Levels

Calculated Risk at Calculated Risk - 1 hour ago

The Northwest Multiple Listing Service reported Buyers Getting "Some Relief" as Key Indicators Point to Strong Summer for Housing Market Inventory, pending sales and prices all increased during June compared to a year ago, according to the latest report from Northwest Multiple Listing Service. The same report, which covers 23 counties in Washington state, shows year-over-year drops area-wide in both the volume of new listings and closed sales. ... House hunters had a broader selection to consider as inventory at month end totaled 16,800 active listings, about 9.5 percent larger than ... more » 

Microsoft may be in more trouble. 

8 

Kris Kobach Announces Bid for Kansas Senate Seat

Stephanie Saul at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 3 hours ago

Mr. Kobach, who was the Republican nominee for governor last year, has most recently championed an effort to build a border wall with private funding.

Kansas has evicted the Republicans.

9 

New Scandals Rock Government’s Foreign Broadcasting Service

Elizabeth Williamson at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 3 hours ago

The United States Agency for Global Media is facing intensified scrutiny after two new cases raised questions about journalistic and financial management.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voice_of_America 

"VOA was established in 1942,^[1] and the VOA charter (Public Laws 94-350 and 103-415)^[3] was signed into law in 1976 by President Gerald Ford. The charter contains its mission "to broadcast accurate, balanced, and comprehensive news and information to an international audience", and it defines the legally mandated standards in the VOA journalistic code"

Trump must hate it.

10 

Trump Says He Will No Longer Deal With British Ambassador Whose Critical Cables Were Leaked

Mark Landler at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 3 hours ago

President Trump’s statement came close to declaring Kim Darroch, the ambassador, persona non grata — an extraordinary breach between the United States and one of its closest allies.

The Foreign Office is not listening.

11 

Billionaire Tom Steyer May Enter the 2020 Field as Rep. Eric Swalwell Bows Out

Reid J. Epstein, Alexander Burns and Matt Stevens at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 3 hours ago

The hedge fund investor appears to want the field of Democrats to remain 24 candidates strong.

Abuse is not in short supply.

12

 

No Plans for Aerial Survey of Arctic Refuge, Company Says

Henry Fountain at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 3 hours ago

The announcement means there will most likely be no new information about any potential oil and gas riches in the refuge when drilling leases are sold this year.

There may be no bids.

13 

House Prices to National Average Wage Index

Calculated Risk at Calculated Risk - 3 hours ago

One of the metrics we'd like to follow is a ratio of house prices to incomes. Unfortunately most income data is released with a significantly lag, and there are always questions about which income data to use (the average total income is skewed by the income of a few people). And for key measures of house prices - like Case-Shiller - we have indexes, not actually prices. But we can construct a ratio of the house price indexes to some measure of income. For this graph I decided to look at house prices and the National Average Wage Index from Social Security. Note: For a different l... more » 

Pointless for me.  I will start talking to an agent about raw property.

14 

Elizabeth Warren’s Fund-Raising: $19.1 Million in 3 Months, Outpacing Sanders

Reid J. Epstein and Astead W. Herndon at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 5 hours ago

Ms. Warren’s fund-raising total is likely to place her third among Democrats in the second quarter, behind Pete Buttigieg and Joseph R. Biden Jr.

Elizabeth Warren is doing well.

15 

Kris Kobach Expected to Announce Bid for Kansas Senate Seat

Stephanie Saul at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 5 hours ago

Mr. Kobach, who was the Republican nominee for governor last year, has most recently championed an effort to build a border wall with private funding.

 I want to know who the competition is.

16 

Trump Talks Up ‘America’s Environmental Leadership’ in Climate Speech

Katie Rogers and Coral Davenport at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 5 hours ago

The idea for the speech originated with consultants on the re-election campaign worried that his environmental record was a turnoff to two key demographics — millennials and suburban women.

Trump's record on the environment is bad.

17 

West Bank Grows Calmer as Pocketbook Issues Take Priority Over Protests

Isabel Kershner at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 5 hours ago

A lull in protests appears to bolster the Trump administration’s belief that economic growth will produce peace. But Palestinians say the calm is a symptom of despair.

Starvation leads to quiet.

18 

Basic Ethics and When Violence Is Justified

Ian Welsh at Ian Welsh - 7 hours ago

The simplest of all ethics are “I don’t harm others, I don’t harm myself.” The problem with this ethic arises when someone else hurts you. What do you do? Perhaps the first step is to ask them to stop. If they don’t, attempt to move away from them. If you can’t or if moving away […]

I still want to survive.
Violence does not lead to survival.
Less so if individual.

19 

Navy Admiral Slotted for Top Role Abruptly Announces Retirement

Thomas Gibbons-Neff at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 7 hours ago

Adm. William Moran cited an ongoing ethics investigation into his relationship with a subordinate as the reason for stepping down.

It reads like he is an out gay.
He gets his pension if he goes now.

20 

New Human Rights Panel Raises Fears of a Narrowing U.S. Advocacy

Edward Wong and Eileen Sullivan at NYT > U.S. > Politics - 7 hours ago

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the panel would give the administration guidance, but some lawmakers argued it could limit advocacy for women’s rights and gay rights.

The Trump administration has made its positions on women's rights and gay rights clear.

Women and gays have no rights according to Trump.

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