Tuesday, October 7
Headlines
Protesters in Chicago last month. KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI
AFP via Getty Images
Judge won’t block Trump from sending National Guard to Chicago, for now. Officials from Illinois and Chicago sued yesterday to stop President Trump from deploying National Guard troops to Chicago, as conflicts between the president and Democrat-led areas escalate. A federal judge declined to immediately grant that request, but scheduled a full hearing for Thursday. Trump wants the troops to quell protests of ICE agents’ aggressive immigration enforcement in Chicago. The local officials’ lawsuit argues that he’s motivated by hostility toward the city and its leaders rather than a true emergency. The president also sought to deploy the National Guard to Portland, OR, but a different federal judge blocked that twice over the weekend. The White House is appealing in Oregon, and the President has also said he could invoke the Insurrection Act to bypass the courts.
Fifth Third to buy Comerica as regional lenders consolidate. In what Bloomberg calls the biggest US bank deal this year, Fifth Third said it would acquire Comerica for $10.9 billion in stock. The acquisition, expected to close in the first quarter next year, would create the ninth-largest bank in the country with $288 billion in assets. The announcement sent Wall Street tongues wagging about whether a wave of consolidation could be coming to regional banking, as smaller banks look to compete with giants like JPMorgan and may want to take advantage of the Trump administration’s more open stance toward big mergers.
Talks toward ending Gaza war began in Egypt. Yesterday, on the eve of the two-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that prompted the war in Gaza, Israel and Hamas started indirect talks in a Red Sea resort town to discuss President Trump’s 20-point peace plan. Both sides are under pressure to agree to a ceasefire, but they are also believed to be far apart on key issues—including whether Hamas will disarm and the withdrawal of Israeli troops. Going into the discussions, Hamas said it would agree to release its remaining hostages in exchange for a release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, but those details are still being hashed out as well. The White House is pushing for the talks to move quickly, and the initial phase is likely to take several days.—AR
Judge won’t block Trump from sending National Guard to Chicago, for now. Officials from Illinois and Chicago sued yesterday to stop President Trump from deploying National Guard troops to Chicago, as conflicts between the president and Democrat-led areas escalate. A federal judge declined to immediately grant that request, but scheduled a full hearing for Thursday. Trump wants the troops to quell protests of ICE agents’ aggressive immigration enforcement in Chicago. The local officials’ lawsuit argues that he’s motivated by hostility toward the city and its leaders rather than a true emergency. The president also sought to deploy the National Guard to Portland, OR, but a different federal judge blocked that twice over the weekend. The White House is appealing in Oregon, and the President has also said he could invoke the Insurrection Act to bypass the courts. Fifth Third to buy Comerica as regional lenders consolidate. In what Bloomberg calls the biggest US bank deal this year, Fifth Third said it would acquire Comerica for $10.9 billion in stock. The acquisition, expected to close in the first quarter next year, would create the ninth-largest bank in the country with $288 billion in assets. The announcement sent Wall Street tongues wagging about whether a wave of consolidation could be coming to regional banking, as smaller banks look to compete with giants like JPMorgan and may want to take advantage of the Trump administration’s more open stance toward big mergers. Talks toward ending Gaza war began in Egypt. Yesterday, on the eve of the two-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that prompted the war in Gaza, Israel and Hamas started indirect talks in a Red Sea resort town to discuss President Trump’s 20-point peace plan. Both sides are under pressure to agree to a ceasefire, but they are also believed to be far apart on key issues—including whether Hamas will disarm and the withdrawal of Israeli troops. Going into the discussions, Hamas said it would agree to release its remaining hostages in exchange for a release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, but those details are still being hashed out as well. The White House is pushing for the talks to move quickly, and the initial phase is likely to take several days.—AR
Robert Reich
How Trump is systematically concealing America from Americans
Friends,
Flying blind is dangerous, but it’s what Trump and his lackeys are forcing America to do.
For starters, the current government shutdown means that critical economic statistics — such as job numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that normally would have appeared last Friday — are delayed. No one knows when they’ll appear.
The BLS also produces data on inflation and wages — also delayed.
At a time when there’s reason to worry that the American economy is weakening — when Trump’s tariffs (import taxes) are pushing prices higher, his ICE dragnet is causing labor shortages, and he is asserting control over the Fed’s interest-rate decisions — turning the lights off on the economy is a particularly bad idea.
But even if the government weren’t shuttered, Trump is still turning out the lights.
At A Glance
What it costs to grow old in your home. (w/interactive)
Images from Thailand's water buffalo festival.
Taco Bell tops speed rankings in drive-thru report card.
Universities producing the most billionaires.
The calculated, useful art of gossiping.
Failed amendments that almost reshaped American history.
Longest-running computer and 10 other odd tech records.
How one man stole thousands of butterflies.
Robots are cooking your french fries now.*
Clickbait: Rare coin treasure hunt kicks off today.
Historybook: Edgar Allan Poe dies (1849); World’s oldest airline still operating under its original name, KLM, is founded (1919); American cellist Yo-Yo Ma born (1955); US invasion of Afghanistan begins (2001); Hamas launches attack into Israel, killing over 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage (2023).
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Taylor Swift's "The Life of a Showgirl" sells 2.7 million copies on its opening day and 1.2 million vinyl albums in the first week, a modern-era (1991-present) record (More) | ... and the album's release launch film hauls in $46M at global box office (More)
> Former NFL quarterback and Fox Sports analyst Mark Sanchez hospitalized, arrested on three misdemeanors after late-night altercation with 69-year-old truck driver (More)
> MLB Division Series is underway; see latest playoff bracket and schedule (More) | Las Vegas Aces take 2-0 lead over Phoenix Mercury in WNBA Finals (More)
Science & Technology
> Study reveals enzymes and process that allow ants to ferment milk into yogurt; most modern yogurts rely on two bacterial strains during production (More)
> Mushrooms evolved the ability to produce psilocybin—the psychoactive substance in magic mushrooms—in two different ways (More)
> Scientists use AI tool to map how an antibiotic known as enterololin helps treat Crohn's disease while leaving the rest of the gut microbiome unaffected; approach accelerates research process from years to months (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close mixed Friday (S&P 500 +0.0%, Dow +0.5%, Nasdaq -0.3%); the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish jobs report for October amid federal government shutdown (More)
> OPEC+ countries announce an increase in oil production next month by 137,000 barrels per day, amid concerns of a potential supply glut in the fourth quarter (More)
> Bitcoin price jumps to record high of over $125.7K following September's Federal Reserve rate cut (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> US Supreme Court begins its new term today; high-profile cases on the docket address birthright citizenship, conversion therapy, President Donald Trump's tariffs regime, the firing of Federal Reserve Board member Lisa Cook, and more (More)
> President Donald Trump authorizes 300 National Guard troops to Chicago after an armed woman rams her vehicle at federal officers, is shot by Border Patrol (More) | Federal judge temporarily blocks deployment of National Guard to Portland, Oregon (More)
> Israel and Hamas negotiations begin today in Egypt, after Hamas agrees to elements of a US-proposed peace deal (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Artificial Intelligence
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I asked AI a simple question: What can AI DO?
This was the answer:
AI can simulate human intelligence by learning from data to perform tasks like understanding language, recognizing images, making predictions, and automating processes. It can be used to automate repetitive tasks, personalize user experiences, generate creative content, assist in complex analysis, and power autonomous systems such as self-driving cars. Common applications include digital assistants, personalized recommendations, medical diagnostics, translation, and fraud detection.Now...
Can you imagine any job in America that cannot benefit from AI?
I asked AI another simple question: What kind of energy demands will AI require?
This was the answer:
AI's energy cnsumption is significant and growing rapidly, primarily driven by the high energy needs of data centers that power AI models, especially generative AI. Projections show a dramatic increase in this demand, potentially requiring large additions to global power generation capacity by 2030
Now...
Can you imagine GREEN ENERGY being able to supply AI's energy demands?
I asked AI another simple question: Which jobs will AI eliminate first?
This was the answer:
Jobs involving repetitive, predictable tasks are most vulnerable to being eliminated first by artificial intelligence. This includes entry-level positions across a range of industries, from administrative and financial roles to customer service and creative fields. This includes:
- Administrative and office support
- Customer Service
- Bookkeeping and Accounting
- Entry lever content creation
- Translators and Proofreaders
- Manufacturing and Warehouse workers
- Transportation
Now...
Can you imagine what percentage of the workforce this might be?
This is just AI...
I've not asked about HUMANOID ROBOTS...
Tiny living robots made from lung cells could one day deliver medicine inside the body
A brand-new engineering approach to generate "designer" biological robots using human lung cells is underway in Carnegie Mellon University's Ren lab.
Referred to as AggreBots, these microscale living robots may one day be able to traverse through the body's complex environments to deliver desired therapeutic or mechanical interventions, once greater control is achieved over their motility patterns.
In new research published in Science Advances, the group provides a novel tissue engineering platform capable of achieving customizable motility in AggreBots by actively controlling their structural parameters.
Monday, October 6
Wonderings 3
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This is a really complex question, if thought about it seriously, because, I am a:
- male
- son
- sibling
- husband
- father
- divorcee
- veteran
- college graduate
- southerner
- American
- retired
- cancer survivor
- had a heart attack
- athlete
- weightlifter
- swimmer
- lifeguard
- North Carolinian
- Tennessean
- receiving social security
- in my 70s
- a writer
- a teacher
- a student
- over six feet
- slightly obese
- have white hair
- have had cavities
and... this list could go on and on...
Sometimes, we can find out more about who we are by looking at who we are not. For example, I am not a/an:
- astronaut
- chemist
- physicist
- politician
- crusader
- FBI agent
- professional athlete
- singer
- movie star
- wealthy
while this list is shorter than the one above, you should be able to see where I am headed...
What I find interesting about this question is that individuals seldom think about the question(s) or what the answer(s) might be. Not even when two people decide to get married or live together. As long as there is love and they have a few things in common, they always jump into the arrangement.
How can you possibly understand others if you don't understand yourself???
AND...
How can you understand your children and help them understand themselves, if you don't understand yourself???
Headlines
Nurphoto/Getty Images
President Trump considers $10 billion bailout for farmers. The US soybean industry is in dire straits: The harvesting season is underway, and China hasn’t bought a single bushel since May, while protracted trade negotiations between the United States and the world’s largest soybean customer linger on. According to the Wall Street Journal’s analysis of federal data, US soybean farmers stand to lose $100 per acre this year due to falling crop prices and increased costs for fertilizer and equipment. President Trump is reportedly exploring ways to ease the strain on farmers, and he’s expected to announce solutions soon. Last Wednesday on Truth Social, he mentioned potentially sharing a percentage of proceeds from tariffs with embattled farmers.
Govt shutdown expected to continue another week. If you’re wondering what new developments you missed in Congress’s impasse, the answer is…not many. Both Democrats and Republicans remain entrenched in their belief that each has the upper hand in the argument. The Senate will reconvene this afternoon, with votes on the two competing continuing resolutions that led the government to shut down last week scheduled for 5:30pm ET, meaning the government cannot reopen before then. The House will remain out of town after Speaker Mike Johnson declared Oct. 7 through Oct. 13 “a district work period” while Washington is in disarray. Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council, said on CNN’s State of the Union yesterday that mass firings of federal workers would begin “if the president decides that the negotiations are absolutely going nowhere.”
Taylor Swift banked $33m domestically for only-in-theaters event. This weekend, to celebrate the release of The Life of a Showgirl, Taylor Swift hosted a “release party,” which was actually a movie, which was actually an 89-minute presentation of a music video and behind-the-scenes footage and commentary shown at participating cinemas for three days. Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl was distributed by AMC to over 3,700 theaters in the US and Canada. While it debuted at No. 1 at the North American box office, it won’t be defending its slot next weekend, as it left theaters yesterday. The event was only announced two weeks ago and received minimal promotion, but struggling theater owners were nonetheless grateful for the lovely bouquet.—HVL
Robert Reich
How Trump is making potentially lethal decisions
Friends,
When over the weekend federal Judge Karin Immergut (a Trump appointee) blocked Trump from deploying Oregon’s National Guard to Portland, Trump said she “should be ashamed of herself” because “Portland is burning to the ground.”
Trump promptly ordered the California National Guard to Portland.
Apart from the obvious question of how Trump can so blatantly defy a federal judge, there’s a deeper puzzle here. Where did he get the idea Portland is burning to the ground?
Nine days ago, when Trump first threatened to send troops to Portland, Oregon’s governor, Tina Kotek, told him there was no reason. “He thinks there are elements here creating an insurrection,” Kotek said after her call with Trump. “I told him there is no insurrection here and that we have this under control.”
At A Glance
The rise of trunk-or-treat.
Rising costs have coffee drinkers frothing mad—but they can't quit.
Inside the most crowded place on Earth. (via YouTube)
Hot air balloons shut down Lithuanian airport.
California corn maze takes at least 45 minutes to complete.
Record-breaking landmarks throughout the US.
See recently discovered translucent fish.
Spanish shipwreck off Florida's coast has $1M in treasure.
Salt has been misunderstood for far too long.*
Clickbait: Spooky background music. (w/video)
Historybook: Civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer born (1917); Yom Kippur War begins (1973); Pope John Paul II is first pope to visit White House (1979); Anwar Sādāt, president of Egypt, assassinated (1981); Hollywood legend Bette Davis dies (1989).
In The NEWS
FIRE, 101
Most US workers aim to retire around age 65—but for many followers of the FIRE movement, which stands for “financial independence, retire early,” that’s not the case. FIRE followers, who range from low- to high-income workers, typically prioritize high savings rates, relatively frugal living, and aggressive investing strategies in an effort to work less and enjoy life more in the long-term (see five distinct approaches).
While many proponents argue that the movement is more of a mindset about achieving financial freedom than any specific retirement date, both ends require similar means (watch a pioneer in the movement explain the mindset).The movement also isn’t without its critics. Some note that saving aggressively or maximizing income isn’t feasible for many, especially those with dependents such as children or elderly parents. They argue that FIRE followers are particularly at risk in times of economic hardship, such as high inflation or a long-term dip in the stock market, and that they underestimate how much money they actually need to save.
... Read our full deep dive on FIRE here.
Also, check out ...
> How much money you need to retire in each state. (More)
> Inside a FIRE follower's money diary. (More)
> Despite FIRE, most Americans are retiring later than they used to. (More)
What was the HGP?
The Human Genome Project was an international collaboration to map all the genetic information found in humans and several organisms of importance in biological research. From 1990 to 2003, more than 2,000 scientists from universities and research facilities worldwide sequenced more than 3 billion base pairs of a genetic tapestry built from 20 individuals from Buffalo, New York.
The HGP was proposed in the mid-1980s as a joint initiative by the National Institutes of Health and the US Department of Energy to identify the genetic cause of illnesses and the genetic effects of radiation and energy-related chemicals (see timeline).
The composite genome was cut into fragments, which were sent to 20 sequencing centers, processed, and combined on computers to reassemble. The project would end with publishing a 92%-complete human genome sequence, which would be finalized thanks to new technologies in 2022.
... Read our full write-up on the project here.
Also, check out ...
> About 70% of the project's reference genome sequence came from one donor. (More)
> The project spawned numerous spinoff genetics projects. (More)
> How the project overpromised on its final outcomes. (More)
SOURCE: 1440 NEWS
Self-Reflection
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These people range from those in their 50s, 60s. and 70s, although I have not seen this type of buying about those in their 80s or those below 50s; however, people in their 30s and 40s only have half what those other families have.
CREDIT CARD DEBT is one of the biggest problems in America along with illegal drugs and alcohol. When there is an addiction, it is difficult for one to see the change in oneself and difficult to hear when a friend points it out.
SELF-REFLECTION
This is easy to say that it needs to be done but very hard to implement, yet it is an important aspect of understanding who we are.
Who am I?
- What do I do well?
- What do I do poorly?
- What do I need to improve upon?
- Am I addicted to credit cards or buying stuff?
- What are my strengths?
- What are my weaknesses?
- What do I know?
- What do I need to know?
- What do I like?
- What do I dislike?
- What kind of personality do I have?
Another issue dealing with Self Reflection is how to I perceive (see) myself... or do I rely on how others perceive (see) me?
Sadly...
most of us care how others see us and not how we see ourselves.
That is to say we base our behavior based upon how others want us to be not how we want ourselves to be.
AND,
this is hard for us to admit.
The Perseverance Rover Spotted A Rock That May Be The Strongest Sign Of Ancient Life Yet
NASA's Perseverance rover has been exploring Mars' Jezero Crater since 2021 with the primary objective to investigate the environments that could have supported life in the past on the Red Planet.
In order to do that, the rover is busy collecting samples for possible return to Earth, where they can be meticulously studied. Jezero Crater was the obvious choice for research because orbital data revealed evidence of abundant water in ancient times; there's an old (now dry) river delta that used to supply Jezero Crater with water.
After all, the name Jezero, in some Slavic languages, means "lake." What's more, this former lake might have just done a lot to help Perseverance find signs of ancient Martian life -- rocks with strange patterns potentially created by organic reactions.
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