Sunday, May 11
In The NEWS
Trump signals openness to cutting China tariffs to 80%.
President Donald Trump proposed reducing tariffs on Chinese imports to 80% in a bid to ease trade tensions ahead of high-level talks today between US and Chinese officials in Switzerland. The talks mark the first major meeting between the two countries since the trade war began. Tariffs have surged to 145% on US goods from China and 125% on Chinese goods from the US, impacting markets and consumer prices.
Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter dies at age 85.
The retired Supreme Court justice, appointed by President George HW Bush in 1990, passed away Thursday at his home in New Hampshire. Though initially expected to be a conservative voice, Souter became known for his liberal stances on issues like abortion and civil rights. He also dissented in the 2000 Bush v. Gore decision, which ended the Florida recount and secured George W. Bush's presidential victory.
Newark Airport goes dark for second time Friday morning.
Early Friday morning, radar screens at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey went dark for about 90 seconds due to a telecommunications outage at a Philadelphia facility overseeing its airspace. The brief outage is the second such incident in two weeks and came a day after the Department of Transportation announced a multibillion-dollar modernization plan.
Two men convicted of cutting down iconic Sycamore Gap tree.
Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers were found guilty Friday of criminal damage for felling the Sycamore Gap tree in northern England in 2023. The roughly 150-year-old tree previously stood symmetrically in a dip between two hills (see photos) alongside a portion of Hadrian's Wall, a 73-mile stone barrier built by Roman Emperor Hadrian about 1,900 years ago to protect the empire's northwest frontier. Sentencing is July 15.
Lyft sees shares rise 28% after increasing its share buyback plan.
Lyft's shares popped a day after the rideshare company beat first-quarter estimates, reporting $1.45B in revenue. It also expanded its share buyback plan (see overview) to $750M. Additionally, Lyft reported strong rider growth in smaller US cities and international expansion through its FreeNow acquisition have contributed to a record number of bookings.
FDA approves first at-home alternative to the Pap smear.
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved an at-home cervical cancer screening tool called the Teal Wand, which allows women ages 25 to 65 to self-collect samples to test for HPV—the virus responsible for most cervical cancers. The alternative to traditional Pap smears aims to make screening easier, especially for those who find in-office exams uncomfortable or inaccessible.
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Deception
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It seems like commerce in the USA is completely based upon DECEPTION these days. Now, there was deception in the 60s/70s but not as bad as it is today.
I remember SEARS getting caught for a bait and switch scheme and nobody could trust used car salesmen, but for the most part everyone was honest and straight forward.
In the 1980s, I learned that Engineering Schools were teaching their students BUILT IN OBSOLESCENCE which mean design and built a product that has a limited life span... so it needs to be replaced more frequently.
As we moved into the 1990s and 2000s, I discovered that most all commerce was based upon, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE BUYER IF YOU CAN... it seems nobody was playing the TRUTH GAME.
Today, in 2025, if you do not do your DUE DILLIGENCE then you might as well guarantee yourself that you will be conned, ripped off, or in some way taken advantage of. That is just the way it is.
A recent discussion with an online stranger trying to sell me a service, pushed the fact that he and his company had an A+ rating with the BBB... that could be verified but when I performed a GOOGLE search or searched using Microsoft's COPILOT(AI), I literally found dozens of dissatisfied customers that felt they had not just been lied to but that this company was not even answering their phone calls. This was also confirmed with COPILOT.
I think this started back in the 1970s/80s/90s when potential job applicants started lying on their resumes about their qualifications and what they could do. This was accomplished by playing with the use of words.
LET THE BUYER BEWARE....
Gravity is Result of Computational Process within Our Universe, Physicist Says
University of Portsmouth physicist Melvin Vopson proposes a new way to think about gravity — not just as a pull, but as something that happens when the Universe is trying to stay organized.
This artist’s impression shows the evolution of the Universe beginning with the Big Bang on the left followed by the appearance of the Cosmic Microwave Background. The formation of the first stars ends the cosmic dark ages, followed by the formation of galaxies. Image credit: M. Weiss / Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
The possibility that the entire Universe is informational in nature and resembles a computational process is a popular theory among a number of well-known figures.
The thinking comes from within a branch of science known as information physics, which suggests physical reality is actually made up of structured information.
The thinking comes from within a branch of science known as information physics, which suggests physical reality is actually made up of structured information.
Saturday, May 10
Politics & a Few Other Related Thoughts
At 77 years of age, I don't really think that much about politics like I used to.
REASON? Politicians seem to care more about getting re-elected than they do about making life better for Americans.
When I was really focused on Politics, I was a KENNEDY DEMOCRAT... After he was killed, the Democratic Party was never the same.
My focus shifted from the PARTY to that candidate that I perceived to be the best for the country.
My Political Philosophy:
- Low taxes
- Small Federal Govt
- More powerful State's Govt
- Free healthcare
- No federal debt
- Strong retirement program
- Free trades - no tariffs
- No tax shelters for wealthy
- Large non-profits pay taxes
- Strong military
- Secure boarders
- Strong economy
- Robust education
I think fighting other country's wars should not be our responsibility like Korea, and Vietnam. But I do think that terrorists who attack us should be severely punished, like 9/11.
Companies ARE WRONG that pay their management teams bonuses and extremely higher salaries than their workforces that does most all of the work. Something is terribly wrong when GREED over Human Beings takes precedence... but it is not the Feds who should regulate that - it is the companies themselves.
There should be no discrimination, and women should be allowed to have an abortion anytime they damn well want, and if males want to be girls, then they certainly have the right to do that. Just don't violate MY RIGHTS for someone else's rights.
Robert Reich
The Biggest Presidential Con in History | The Coffee Klatch for May 10, 2025
With Heather Lofthouse and yours truly, Robert Reich
At A Glance
Bookkeeping
> $34.1B: The estimated consumer spending for this year's Mother's Day.
> $130: The cost of a pair of prescuffed and prestained Nike Air Force 1s.
> 168 letters: The length of the world's longest name for a place—see it here.
Browse
> A collection of totally useless websites.
> Leadership lessons from Warren Buffett.
> Why nose breathing is a superpower.
> The animal kingdom moms that go above and beyond.
> Artist recreates Italian monuments with Lego bricks.
> How some flowers mimic the smell of rotting meat.
Listen
> Why can’t we turn empty offices into apartments?
Watch
> The CIA method for making quick decisions under stress.
> Eminem's "Lose Yourself" sung by lines from 331 movies.
> The rise and fall of the nearly 600-year rule of the Ottoman Empire.
Long Read
> How the now-defunct Skype changed people's worlds.
> Heat waves may accelerate the aging process.
> Uncovering the Buddha's origins in his Nepali hometown.
Most Clicked This Week: Where US home prices are rising (and falling) the most.
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Football coaching legend Nick Saban tapped to co-chair presidential commission on college athletics, examining a range of issues, including college athlete payment structures (More)
> Universal Music Group files motion to dismiss Drake's updated defamation lawsuit, which alleges UMG damaged Drake's reputation by promoting Kendrick Lamar's diss track "Not Like Us" (More)
> Several "Les Misérables" cast members to boycott June 11 Kennedy Center performance to be attended by President Donald Trump; those who perform will donate wages from the night to charity (More) | New "Lord of the Rings" film sets December 2027 release date (More)
Science & Technology
> Many US cities are sinking, new analysis suggests; between 20%-65% of urban zones in all cities studied were dropping around a few fractions of an inch per year, primarily driven by large-scale groundwater extraction (More) | Read paper (More)
> Astronomers discover first example of an "off-center" massive black hole consuming a star; object is located roughly 2,600 light-years from Sagittarius A*, the massive black hole at the center of the Milky Way (More) | 1440 Topics: Black Holes (More)
> New study reveals eggs are more resilient to falls when landing on their side, overturning conventional wisdom; microstructure study finds sideways orientation acts as an efficient shock absorber (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.6%, Dow +0.6%, Nasdaq +1.1%) after US unveils outline of UK trade deal and signals optimism for talks with China (More) | Bank of England lowers interest rates to 4.25% from 4.5% (More)
> Coinbase Global agrees to acquire Deribit, the world's biggest trading platform for bitcoin and ethereum options, for $2.9B (More) | Bitcoin climbs above $100K for the first time since February (More) | Learn more about bitcoin (More)
> Bill Gates announces he will donate 99% of his remaining tech fortune (estimated at around $107B) to the Gates Foundation over the next 20 years; the foundation is set to close in 2045 and currently has a $77B endowment (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> India accuses Pakistan of attacking three military bases with drones and missiles; Pakistan denies the claim (More) | Pakistan says its air force downed five Indian fighter jets, more drones (More) | Pakistan also says 125 Indian and Pakistani jets fought in the air for over an hour Wednesday; if true, would be among biggest air battles since World War II (More)
> Acting chief of Federal Emergency Management Agency is fired the day after testifying to Congress that FEMA should not be closed (More) | President Donald Trump pulls nomination for DC's top prosecutor known for firing Jan. 6 prosecutors amid pushback from congressional Republicans (More)
> At least 80 pro-Palestinian Columbia University students arrested Wednesday after taking over a library room (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Insurance Poor
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Life is all about taking RISKS. As soon as we are old enough to drive, and get behind the wheel of a vehicle, we start taking risks. For some, who live in specific geographical areas, taking risks starts at a much earlier age than most.
Regardless of your situation or location, taking risks is a fundamental part of LIFE.
Here, in America, we offset those risks with INSURANCE. Consequently, we have:
- Car insurance
- Home owners insurance
- Renters insurance
- Medical insurance
- Travel insurance
- Life insurance
- Personal property insurance
- Warranty insurance
Not all of these insurances are advertised but LIFE INSURANCE is pretty much advertised all the time.
Life insurance is supposed to give you security for the future... but NOT FOR YOU... for those you left behind.
Life insurance is predicated upon taking advantage of people's FEAR OF RISKS.
When you take out LIFE INSURANCE, the one who is getting insured, is betting that they will not live long in order to maximize the payout versus money paid in.
On the other side of the coin, the company that is doing the insuring is betting that the one who is being insured, in fact, lives a long time, because money paid in can be invested to offset money paid out.
Again, this is a game of RISKS.
If you believe you are going to live a long time and if you have the money to pay the monthly premium, then you should TAKE THE RISK and invest the money yourself instead of giving it to the insurance company to invest.
If you do decide to invest the money yourself, ONLY INVEST IN MUTUAL FUNDS to counter the RISKS of investing in the STOCK MARKET.
Do you HOMEWORK... Don't just believe an insurance salesperson when the tell you this or that.
It is your life, not theirs.
'Prime numbers' discovery upends thousands of years of accepted beliefs and could disrupt encryption methods
Now comes a bold assertion: primes are not as random as we thought. If that statement holds, it rewrites a story mathematicians have told since the ancient Greeks. It also challenges the security systems that shield our bank transactions and private messages.
Understanding prime numbers
Every whole number on your calculator can be built from primes. Need 15? Multiply 3 and 5. Need 323? Break it into 17 × 19. Yet no one has found a simple shortcut that lists every prime in order without missing one or adding impostors.
Every whole number on your calculator can be built from primes. Need 15? Multiply 3 and 5. Need 323? Break it into 17 × 19. Yet no one has found a simple shortcut that lists every prime in order without missing one or adding impostors.
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