Tuesday, July 15
Headlines
President Donald Trump with NATO Secretary
General Mark Rutte. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Trump threatens 100% tariffs over Ukraine war, makes arms deal with NATO. President Trump said yesterday that he would impose a 100% “secondary tariff” on Russia’s trading partners if Moscow doesn’t make a deal to end its invasion of Ukraine within 50 days. The president also announced an agreement for US companies to sell “billions of dollars worth of military equipment” to European countries that will send them to Ukraine. He expressed disappointment in President Vladimir Putin for not reaching a peace deal sooner, reflecting a recent shift in Trump’s attitude toward the Russian leader.
Supreme Court rules dismantling of the Department of Education can begin. The high court ruled that the Trump administration can start implementing its plans to fire 1,400 Department of Education employees, pausing a Massachusetts federal judge’s order that blocked the layoffs in May. The administration aims to eliminate the department, which would require Congressional action. The Supreme Court’s order didn’t provide a reason and was unsigned, as is customary in response to emergency applications like the one that put the issue before the court. But the court’s three liberal justices issued a dissent, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor writing that the decision “hands the Executive the power to repeal statutes by firing all those necessary to carry them out.”
JPow’s building reno is getting a lot of attention. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell asked the central bank’s inspector general to review a $2.5 billion building renovation project after its budget overruns prompted severe criticism from the White House. The request came after National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told ABC on Sunday that the president could fire Powell “if there’s cause.” With President Trump having previously expressed a desire to axe Powell for not lowering interest rates, many Fed watchers see the building project as a potential cause the White House could use to get rid of Powell before his term ends and install someone new.—AR
Trump threatens 100% tariffs over Ukraine war, makes arms deal with NATO. President Trump said yesterday that he would impose a 100% “secondary tariff” on Russia’s trading partners if Moscow doesn’t make a deal to end its invasion of Ukraine within 50 days. The president also announced an agreement for US companies to sell “billions of dollars worth of military equipment” to European countries that will send them to Ukraine. He expressed disappointment in President Vladimir Putin for not reaching a peace deal sooner, reflecting a recent shift in Trump’s attitude toward the Russian leader. Supreme Court rules dismantling of the Department of Education can begin. The high court ruled that the Trump administration can start implementing its plans to fire 1,400 Department of Education employees, pausing a Massachusetts federal judge’s order that blocked the layoffs in May. The administration aims to eliminate the department, which would require Congressional action. The Supreme Court’s order didn’t provide a reason and was unsigned, as is customary in response to emergency applications like the one that put the issue before the court. But the court’s three liberal justices issued a dissent, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor writing that the decision “hands the Executive the power to repeal statutes by firing all those necessary to carry them out.” JPow’s building reno is getting a lot of attention. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell asked the central bank’s inspector general to review a $2.5 billion building renovation project after its budget overruns prompted severe criticism from the White House. The request came after National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told ABC on Sunday that the president could fire Powell “if there’s cause.” With President Trump having previously expressed a desire to axe Powell for not lowering interest rates, many Fed watchers see the building project as a potential cause the White House could use to get rid of Powell before his term ends and install someone new.—AR
Robert Reich
The Poisoning of Presidential Power
Friends,
Three examples from just the last week.
On Saturday, Trump said, “Because of the fact that Rosie O’Donnell is not in the best interests of our Great Country, I am giving serious consideration to taking away her Citizenship.”
He called O’Donnell a “threat to humanity” and said she should remain in Ireland, where she moved in January after Trump won a second term.
O’Donnell responded on Instagram: “The president of the USA has always hated the fact that I see him for who he is — a criminal con man sexual abusing liar out to harm our nation to serve himself.”
A central feature of Trump’s second term is his poisoning of the power of the presidency for personal ends, such as wanting to get even with O’Donnell for having expressed negative views about him.
Another example: Trump is putting a 50 percent tariff on imports from Brazil, starting August 1. This isn’t because it will help the American economy or even the broader interests of the United States.
At A Glance
Can our brains run out of memory?
The most common job in every US state: 1998 versus 2024.
Do dolphins use their doulas when giving birth? (w/video)
The stories behind TV pilots that crashed and burned.
Wimbledon winner's favorite dish: pasta with strawberries.
The origins of pickleball and the game's name.
Housekeeping reveals the dirtiest parts of a hotel room.
German customs finds 1,500 tarantulas in cake boxes.
Clickbait: The census of swans begins.
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> World No. 1 Jannik Sinner beats Carlos Alcaraz to win his first Wimbledon title and fourth career Grand Slam (More) | Iga Swiatek tops American Amanda Anisimova to win her first Wimbledon and sixth major title (More)
> Chelsea cruises to 3-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain to win 2025 FIFA Club World Cup (More)
> Washington Nationals take Oklahoma high schooler Eli Willits with top pick in 2025 MLB Draft; see complete Day One draft tracker (More) | Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh breaks American League record by hitting 38 home runs prior to the MLB All-Star Game (More)
Science & Technology
> Tesla adds Grok chatbot to newer vehicles in software update; follows the release of xAI's latest version of its flagship large language model, chatbot not yet capable of issuing commands to the vehicle (More)
> Some gut microbes are capable of processing PFAS, or "forever," chemicals from the body; study may lead to probiotics to replace bloodletting or drug therapies (More) | PFAS 101 (More)
> Archaeologists discover royal burial tomb belonging to the first known ruler of the ancient Mayan city of Caracol; once a major metropolis in modern Belize, city was abandoned about 1,000 years ago (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close lower Friday (S&P 500 -0.3%, Dow -0.6%, Nasdaq -0.2%) following President Donald Trump's announcement of 35% tariffs on Canada and baseline tariffs of 15% to 20% on other countries (More)
> Google pays $2.4B to license AI coding startup Windsurf and hire company's top talent, including its CEO and cofounder (More) | SpaceX invests $2B in Elon Musk's artificial intelligence company, xAI, as part of $5B equity round (More)
> North Carolina, Texas, and Florida top CNBC's ranking of best states for business in 2025; Massachusetts is ranked "most improved"; Alaska ranks last (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Lawmakers visit Alligator Alcatraz, the 3,000-bed immigration detention center newly opened in Florida's Everglades; Democrats criticize conditions as unsanitary, overcrowded (More) | See previous write-up (More)
> Israeli strike kills 10 people, including six children, in line to fill water containers in central Gaza; Israel says missile was intended to strike an Islamic Jihad militant, blames malfunction for missed target (More) | US citizen Sayfollah Musallet among two Palestinians killed by Israeli settlers in the West Bank (More)
> Sudanese Armed Forces retake control of strategic North Kordofan region from paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (More) | International Criminal Court suggests both sides are committing war crimes in western Darfur region (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Project Management
.jpg)
What is a Project?
A project is a task that has been developed and set into motion. The task has to be executed, monitored, and finally concluded. A project could include the following:
- Buying a house or car
- Planning a wedding, thanksgiving dinner, or vacation
- Designing and building a particular type of computer
- Damming up a river
- Hiring an employee
- Writing a PhD thesis
- Deciding which college to attend
Project Management is a set of guidelines to follow if someone wants to become a certified. These guidelines and certification revolve around the PMBOK... Project Management Body of Knowledge.
PMBOK PROCESS GROUPS
- Initiating
- Planning
- Executing
- Monitoring
- Controlling
- Closing
NOTE: the title of each group pretty much explains what each group covers, although some people might think that monitoring and controlling are the same. One monitors the fuel depletion when driving a vehicle but that has very little to do with controlling the vehicle and keeping it from running off the road.
PMBOK KNOWLEDGE AREAS
- Integration
- Scope
- Schedule
- Cost
- Quality
- Resource
- Communications
- Risk
- Procurement
- Stakeholder
There are many people currently working under the title of project manager and while there is no problem with that, they are NOT a CERTIFIED PMPs or a Project Management Professional... that is not to say that over time, they teach themselves through experience to deal with all these areas.
New Study Finds Probiotic Potential in Battling Pesticide Damage
The researchers found that more than a dozen commonly used pesticides altered the growth of human gut bacteria, disrupted how these microbes handle nutrients, and in some cases, accumulated inside bacterial cells.
The team created a publicly available “atlas” detailing these molecular interactions, which could support future research into disease mechanisms and potential treatments.
Monday, July 14
Headlines
Xinhua News Agency/Getty Images
Trump announced 30% tariffs for Mexico and the EU. The president posted letters addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on his Truth Social account, saying the import taxes would be placed on Mexico and the European Union effective August 1. Both trading partners have been negotiating with the American coterie for weeks, but neither has been able to finalize a deal. They responded by saying they will continue to seek agreements before the deadline. US equity futures fell Sunday evening following the news.
Updates from the Texas flood tragedy. Emergency workers in Kerr County, which suffered the worst in the July 4 flooding, were instructed yesterday by local police to leave the Guadalupe River corridor due to the threat of new flooding, although some operations were allowed to proceed later in the day. Also yesterday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended FEMA’s response to the disaster. She said she was not sure if a report released Friday by the New York Times, which found that the agency laid off hundreds of call center workers during the crisis, was true. Per the NYT, which cited anonymous sources, FEMA answered more than 99% of calls on July 5, but just 35.8% the next day and 15.9% on July 7. Noem said, “The anonymous attacks to politicize a situation are completely wrong.”
Superman won the weekend box office, boding well for DC Universe. The reboot starring David Corenswet in the eponymous role and Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane took the No. 1 spot with $122 million in ticket sales domestically, good for the third largest debut of the year behind A Minecraft Movie and Lilo & Stitch. The performance bodes well for both Warner Bros. and DC Studios. It’s the first movie released since DC co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran were appointed in 2022, following a raft of failed superhero flicks. “The DC vision is clear, the momentum is real, and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead,” Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said.—HVL
Robert Reich
Friends,
I’m receiving an increasing number of messages from some of you who are concerned about me. Please don’t be.
Some are concerned about my safety. “You’re speaking out so much and so visibly that they’ll try to get rid of you,” one of you warns.
I assure you I won’t take unnecessary risks. But I’m not going to stop speaking out.
Others of you are concerned about my health. “You’re writing this Substack every day, you’re the subject of a new movie, and you’ve got a book coming out. You’re pushing 80. Get enough sleep! Don’t work so hard!” is a typical comment.
I do get enough sleep (although as I get older, it’s more challenging to get a full night in).
But I have to work hard because we’re in a national emergency. I need to get you the facts, arguments, and analyses you need to take an active role against the Trump regime.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)