Friday, October 24
Headlines
Stephen McCarthy/Getty Images
Trump pardoned Binance founder CZ. Changpeng Zhao, the Chinese-born billionaire crypto founder who was convicted in 2023 of money-laundering violations, was granted clemency by President Trump this week, the White House said. Zhao, who goes by CZ, served four months in prison last year after admitting that Binance allowed terrorist groups, including ISIS and Al Qaeda, and child sex abusers to move money on the crypto exchange. After being released from prison, CZ hired lawyers and lobbyists close to Trump to seek a pardon. Per the Wall Street Journal, Binance has been a major supporter of the Trump family’s World Liberty Financial crypto enterprise, which “has driven a huge leap in the president’s personal wealth.” The pardon could allow Binance to return to the US, with CZ as CEO.
European defense giants are joining forces to take on Elon Musk in space. Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales are combining their space businesses into a single company in a move that could create a European alternative to Musk’s SpaceX. Airbus will be the majority owner with a 35% stake, the companies said, and the joint venture will employ 25,000 people across Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron and others have championed the idea of a European satellite competitor that could be a substitute for SpaceX’s Starlink system. One expert told CNBC that it’s “the first tangible evidence of Europe addressing its waning technological sovereignty.”
Apple reportedly cutting iPhone Air production due to low demand. The iPhone Air could be on its way to “RIP 2025–2025” meme status. Apple is telling supply partners to slash production of the skinny iPhone after it posted weak sales in its first few weeks on the market, Nikkei Asia reported. The other models in the new iPhone 17 lineup are reportedly selling well, and Apple plans to maintain its current production estimates. The Air has been criticized by techies for its relatively low battery life and single camera, though some have applauded its light weight. Experts say it could serve as the forerunner to the oft-rumored foldable iPhone.—AE
Robert Reich
And the Future of the Democratic Party
Friends,
The only upside to living through this dark time is it pushes us to rethink and perhaps totally remake things we once thought immutable.
Like the Democratic Party.
In case you hadn’t noticed, the current Democratic Party is dysfunctional if not dead.
Better dysfunctional than a fascist cult like the Trump Republican Party. But if there was ever a time when America needed a strong, vibrant Democratic Party, it’s now. And we don’t have one.
The brightest light in the Democratic Party is Zohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old member of the New York State Assembly who has a good chance of being elected the next mayor of New York City when New Yorkers go to the polls a week from Tuesday.
Mamdani is talking about what matters to most voters — the cost living. He says New York should be affordable to everyone.
At A Glance
What it means if you see a blue stop sign.
Wild bear visits bear enclosure at a California zoo.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans would buy a haunted house.
How to fix "tech neck."
Viral ad after German lift was used in the Louvre heist.
... and robbers nab over 1,100 outdoor restaurant chairs.
Study finds Gen Z wants fewer sex scenes in TV and movies.
Meet Norbert, a skateboarding pig.
In partnership: Transform your gut microbiome.*
Clickbait: Animatronic dinosaurs as lawn decorations.
Historybook: Black Thursday US stock market crash, exchange falls roughly 11% in one day (1929); Jackie Robinson dies (1972); Rapper Drake born (1986); Rosa Parks dies (2005); Bloody Friday worldwide stock market crash with most indexes dropping about 10% in single day (2008).
In The NEWS
Sports, Entertainment, & Culture
> Fox to air all 2026 FIFA World Cup games (June 11-July 19), more than doubling 2022 coverage (More) | NHL signs first-of-its-kind multiyear licensing deal with prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket (More)
> San Francisco Giants hire University of Tennessee coach Tony Vitello as manager, marking first MLB manager hire directly from college program (More) | NFL reaffirms Bad Bunny Super Bowl show after conservative backlash (More)
> Misty Copeland gives farewell performance at American Ballet Theatre after five-year hiatus; Copeland became the elite company's first Black principal dancer in 2015 (More)
Science & Technology
> General Motors to integrate Google's Gemini AI into cars next year as part of push to transform vehicles from modes of transportation into intelligent assistants (More)
> Physicians discover link between COVID-19 mRNA vaccines and survival of patients with late-stage lung cancer and melanoma, suggesting mRNA vaccines train the immune system to kill tumors (More)
> Researchers find female mice can become more aggressive toward their pups when deprived of food, revealing interaction between the hunger and parenting circuits in the brain (More)
Business & Markets
> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -0.5%, Dow -0.8%, Nasdaq -0.9%) (More) | Tesla shares fall in after-hours trading after Q3 earnings miss analyst estimates; company reports 12% Q3 revenue growth following two quarters of declines (More)
> Meta to cut 600 jobs in AI unit (More) | Amazon planning to expand robots to meet rising demands, equivalent to replacing 600,000 workers by 2033, per report (More)
> Influencer platform ShopMy raises $70M at a $1.5B valuation; founded in 2020, ShopMy connects brands to consumers via content creators (More)
Politics & World Affairs
> Treasury Department sanctions Russia's two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, each valued at over $50B; announcement comes after President Donald Trump cancels Budapest summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin (More)
> White House will reportedly demolish the entire East Wing as part of its project to construct a new 90,000-square-foot ballroom; White House pledges to submit blueprints to federal agency for review (More) | See previous write-up (More)
> US military kills two people in eighth strike on an alleged narcotrafficking boat, this time in the Pacific Ocean (More)
SOURCE In The NEWS
Term Limits
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On Monday of this week, the Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Trump have the ability/right to send in National Guard to Portland, Oregon to protect Federal Buildings.
Everyone, that had half a brain, knew when the lawsuit was filed it was POLITICAL BULLSHIT... but the Liberals, Democrats, and Socialists play the JUDICAL GAME for the sole purpose of trying to SLOW DOWN Trump completing too many things too quickly.
NOW...
This POLITICAL BULLSHIT game is not just play by the Democrats, but it is played by the Republicans as well.
WHY?
Because, POLITICIANS DO NOT WANT THE OTHER SIDE TO ACCOMPLISH A LOT OF STUFF AND MAKE THE OTHER SIDE LOOK BAD SO THEY CAN GET RE-ELECTED.
Does that make sense to you?
It doesn't to me...
Politicians are supposed to do what is best for Americans and not what is best for their political career.
Since I am much older than those of you who might be reading this, I have seen this kind of behavior on display in WashDC since 1966. If my math is correct, it's been going on for SIXTY (60) years.
It is time for this to STOP.
I propose TERM LIMITS for ALL POLITICIANS, especially Federal Employees since States have their own laws. This proposal would include no more than EIGHT YEARS for:
- President
- Senators
- House of Representatives
- Supreme Court Justices
- All Judges
FACT:::>>> This will NEVER happen because Congress will have to approve the change...
Scientists Create Levitating Disk That Requires No External Power
Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) scientists have achieved a levitation breakthrough by creating a virtually frictionless, macroscopic levitating disk, which requires no external power to magically float above a series of rare-earth magnets.
The researchers behind the historic achievement believe their levitating disk, which resists magnetic eddy forces that can reduce its sensitivity, could be adapted to sensors designed to measure extremely small forces. These include interactions of dark matter and dark energy, as well as those found in the quantum realm.
Thursday, October 23
Wonderings 20
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True___ False___
What is happiness?
- Money
- Success
- Knowledge
- Power
- Faith
- Good Health
- Home Ownership
- Marriage
- Children
- Friends
- Assets
- Relatives
Success means something different to each person as does the meaning of SIMPLICITY.
Do the words SUCCESS and SIMPLICITY change in their meaning depending upon one's age?
Perhaps...
But,
here is an interesting thought to ponder...
- Wise people are always portrayed as being poor
- Jesus was portrayed as being poor
- Monks are portrayed as being poor
So,
Does that mean poverty is the solution for SUCCESS and SIMPLICITY?
However...
The POPE, who is the leader of the Catholic Church, and considered to be the WIZE SAGE OF FAITH...
Yet,
The Catholic Church is estimated to own $265 Billion in assets... which is far from being portrayed as poor.
Would one think that the POPE considers himself to be successful?
While at the same time, we know the POPE is not leading a life of simplicity.
And,
is certainly not emulating the life of JESUS...
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