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Delta gave the airline industry some hope. “Things aren’t that bad” was the main takeaway from Delta’s quarterly earnings report yesterday. The airline reinstated its annual forecast, which it had pulled in April as a result of economic uncertainty. The new outlook isn’t as rosy as it once was, but it was enough to push Delta’s stock up and give airlines some much-needed optimism (United, American, and Southwest all jumped yesterday, too). Delta CEO Ed Bastian said consumers have become “a little numb” to tariff talk and are booking travel for later in the year, rather than holding off entirely. United and American report their earnings next week with hopes of adding to the sector’s momentum.

‍ A judge blocked Trump from carrying out his ban on birthright citizenship. The judicial back-and-forth on the White House’s controversial order continued yesterday when a federal judge in New Hampshire issued a temporary halt to President Trump’s mission of ending birthright citizenship, even though the Supreme Court recently limited lower courts’ ability to issue such nationwide injunctions. The New Hampshire judge was able to carry out the injunction because the case brought to him was a class-action suit, for which the Supreme Court carved out an exception because they involve large groups of plaintiffs. This is undoubtedly not the last you will hear on the matter.

Musk says Grok is coming to Teslas by next week. Grok, Elon Musk’s AI chatbot that had to be briefly shut down this week because it called itself “MechaHitler” as part of an antisemitic posting spree, will be available in Tesla vehicles by “next week at the latest,” the billionaire said yesterday. The news came shortly after xAI released Grok 4, the latest iteration of the chatbot that seemingly recommended a second Holocaust. Musk hopes integrating Grok into Teslas will help the company compete with automakers that already feature ChatGPT voice assistants, like Volkswagen.—AE

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Robert Reich

Trump's Magnet of Malevolence
Why Miller, Vought, Bondi, Patel, Noem, Vance, Kennedy Jr., Rubio, and Hegseth are amplifying his cruelty






Friends,

The conventional explanation for why Trump’s second term is far more extreme than his first (which was extreme enough) is that the guardrails are now gone.

The people who occupied significant roles in the White House and Cabinet during his first administration — who talked him out of (or subverted) his illegal and unconstitutional cravings — are no longer there. In their places are loyalists who will do whatever he wants.

But this conventional view overlooks a more important explanation.

He’s more extreme this time because he’s attracted people around him who are also extreme and pushing him to new levels of malevolence.

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At A Glance

Michael Jordan's former mansion is available on Airbnb.

Time magazine ranks 100 most influential online creators.

... and Lonely Planet ranks the US' top 23 beaches.

Why Dairy Queen can't legally sell "ice cream."

... Speaking of ice cream, tomorrow's 1440 Society & Culture newsletter dives into the history of the classic dessert.
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Matcha lovers are turning against each other.

Scientist's pet cat helps discover new virus.

Quiz yourself on famous literary artworks.

Famous pygmy hippo Moo Deng turns one.

Clickbait: Homeschooling at Disney parks.

12 Mistakes Most New Vegans Make

Crosby, Stills and Nash - Woodstock - Madison Square Garden, NYC - 2009/...

Quick Clips

 

In The NEWS

Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> President Donald Trump to attend Sunday's FIFA Club World Cup final between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain (More) | Brazil national soccer coach Carlo Ancelotti gets one-year prison sentence in Spain for failure to pay taxes (More)

> “Ne Zha 2,” Chinese animated film that made $2.2B at global box office, sets Aug. 22 release date for English-language version, which will include Michelle Yeoh as part of the voice cast (More)

> Max officially reverts its name back to HBO Max just two years after initial switch (More) | "Big Bang Theory" spinoff series confirmed for HBO Max (More)


Science & Technology
> Researchers isolate the oldest proteins ever analyzed, recovered from the enamel of an extinct rhino species at least 18 million years old (More)

> New study estimates 27 million tons of nanoplastics—plastic particles smaller than the width of spider silk—exist in the North Atlantic Ocean; results raise concerns over the penetration of such particles into marine food chains (More)

> Significant weight loss triggers mechanisms in cells to begin recycling harmful lipids and the removal of senescent, or no longer dividing, cells; study is the most detailed to date on how weight loss impacts fat tissue (More)


Business & Markets
> US stock markets close up (S&P 500 +0.6%, Dow +0.5%, Nasdaq +1.0%) (More) | President Donald Trump sends letters detailing new import tariffs to at least seven more countries (More) | Federal Reserve's meeting minutes from June show officials divided over tariff-driven inflation and number of interest rate cuts (More)

> X CEO Linda Yaccarino steps down after over two years in the role; shake-up comes after Elon Musk merged X with Grok chatbot maker xAI in March (More) | Retailers log $7.9B in online sales in first 24 hours of Amazon's four-day Prime Day event, up 9.9% year over year (More)

> Pharmaceutical giant Merck to buy UK-based Verona Pharma for roughly $10B; acquisition is Merck's largest since its nearly $11B purchase of Prometheus Biosciences in 2023 (More)


Politics & World Affairs
> US Justice Department sues the California Department of Education for allowing transgender athletes to compete in school sports; alleges the state is violating antidiscrimination laws (More) | President Donald Trump hosts five African leaders through Friday, with a focus on the continent's economic potential (More)

> The US resumes sending some weapons to Ukraine after pausing deliveries earlier this month (More) | Russia launches record attack on Ukraine, per Ukrainian officials (More) | European Court of Human Rights rules Russia violated international humanitarian law in Ukraine, shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in 2014 (More)

> French police raid the headquarters of the far-right National Rally party as part of a probe into whether the party broke campaign finance laws (More) | Seoul repatriates six North Koreans who accidentally drifted into South Korean waters, the first such return under South Korean President Lee Jae-myung (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS

Liberal Conservative

 

The title of this opinion may seem like an oxymoron or at the very least a contradiction, but I can assure you that I am, in fact, a liberal conservative.  Liberal comes first because that is my main focus.

I don't like govt telling me what to do or how to do it.  I don't like govt paying me not to work unless I am retired.  I pay for my own education, find my own employment opportunities, and obey whatever laws I feel like I should obey.

For instance, the speed limits on the highway are too slow for most drivers these days and the advanced vehicles that they drive.

Also, paying taxes is a necessary evil but I want my taxes to be as low as possible, and I don't want to pay for those lazy people who don't want to work.

I don't think American need to have the right to bear arms although they do have the right to protect their personal property if they so choose.

The same is true for abortions although, the govt should not pay for it.

If taxes are going to be collected, then there should be NO EXCEPTIONS and NO TAX SHELTERS including for non-profits.

Drugs and Alcohol should not be illegal, and each person has a right to decide how they want to DIE.  For some, dying because of drugs or alcohol is a perfect way to go.  It's not my style, but that should not matter.

Woman should be paid the same as men and biological males should not play in female sports...  both those concepts seem like common sense to me.

College degrees should be limited to those areas that are necessary like doctor, dentist, engineer, accountant, lawyer, computers, artificial intelligence, robotics, etc.

College degrees like English, biology, elementary education, history, political science, foreign languages are not necessary for college and can be taught as a certificate program.

I have only gotten myself into debt where my income could make the monthly payments almost with my other financial obligations.  I have always balanced my budget, never spending more than I could afford because I wanted something that other people had and could not wait.

This is the conservative side of the belief.  I have been debt free for over twenty years and still use a credit card to buy stuff.  I just pay it off before any interest is due.

I like being a liberal conservative.

Somewhat Political

 

Discovery in quantum materials could make electronics 1,000 times faster

Researchers at Northeastern University have discovered how to change the electronic state of matter on demand, a breakthrough that could make electronics 1,000 times faster and more efficient.

By switching from insulating to conducting and vice versa, the discovery creates the potential to replace silicon components in electronics with exponentially smaller and faster quantum materials.

"Processors work in gigahertz right now," said Alberto de la Torre, assistant professor of physics and lead author of the research. "The speed of change that this would enable would allow you to go to terahertz."

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Matt Madden, Abandoned Yellow House in Nova Scotia

 

Lara Trump

 

Puddle

 

Russell Brand

 

The King

 

The Shannon Joy Show

 

First Experience

 

The Big MIG

 

Lanscape

 

News Variable

 

Hidden Path

 

TimcastIRL

 

Morning Sun

 

Thrivetime

 

Integrity

 

Brookings Brief

Prosperity and power: Trump’s selective US-Africa summit and the race with China

The Big THINK

Why memento mori is the ultimate life hack

Judgement

 

Headlines

@realdonaldtrump/Truth Social


Trump unveils 50% tariff on Brazil over prosecution of its ex-president. In his latest round of tariff demand letters, President Trump said he plans to slap a 50% tariff on Brazilian imports as of Aug.1, partly because of its prosecution of its former President Jair Bolsonaro for an alleged coup attempt, which Trump called a “witch hunt.” The president also cited a “very unfair trade relationship” between the countries in opting for a much higher tariff than he initially announced in April. Brazil’s current president said the government would respond with reciprocity. President Trump also sent letters threatening tariffs of between 20% and 40% to at least seven more countries yesterday.

US measles cases have reached a 33-year high. A little more than halfway into 2025, the US has reported 1,288 measles cases, marking the highest yearly total since 1992, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An outbreak in Texas contributed to both the high number of cases and the first measles-related US deaths in a decade, though cases have been reported in 39 states. The US declared measles eliminated in 2000, but cases have been spiking as vaccination rates have waned. Of the people in the US infected this year, 92% were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status.

Fed officials are divided over when to cut rates. The Federal Reserve released the minutes from its June meeting, and the good news is that the majority of its officials see interest rate cuts coming this year. But other than that, they agree about as much as feuding contestants on Love Island—the minutes show officials have differing opinions over how many times they’ll do it and when they should start, even as the president has ramped up pressure for lower rates. Although some officials remained concerned that tariffs may spur inflation, the tally shows 10 committee members expect two or more cuts, two expect just one, and seven anticipate none.—AR

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Robert Reich

What’s the Real Reason Musk Wants a Third Party?
Not to reduce the federal debt.







Friends,

“The America Party is needed to fight the Republican/Democrat Uniparty,” Elon Musk posted on X, announcing that he’s forming a third party.

Does America need a third party? Possibly, for a reason I’ll get to in a moment.

But America doesn’t need a third party financed by the richest person in the world, who sank a quarter of a billion dollars into making Trump president and was also among the most prolific Republican donors in 2024 (Trump officials are still awaiting $100 million in pledges Musk made this year).

We need a third party dedicated to just the opposite — getting big money out of politics.

Both major parties are far too dependent on big corporations and the ultra-wealthy, although the GOP is far more dependent than are the Democrats.

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