Occupy Banksters & Crony Capitalism & GREED

Putin's economy is running on fumes after Ukrainian attacks
Politico | Geoffrey Smith | 07/03/26

Drone and ballistic missile strikes are pushing Russia to breaking point

For four years, Russian President Vladimir Putin has largely managed to shield the population from the economic consequences of his war in Ukraine. No more.

The Ukrainian missile and drone strikes on key energy infrastructure in recent weeks has turned the war from a relatively minor irritant that most Russians could ignore into an immediate and increasingly acute fuel crisis.

Two-thirds of Russia's 83 regions are now reporting problems with fuel supply, an immediate inconvenience to millions and an equally immediate threat to the viability of many businesses.

The situation is particularly acute in Crimea, where the authorities have declared a state of emergency and banned all fuel sales. Tourism, key to the peninsula's economy in a normal year, has collapsed. ... Read more

'Onslaught of corruption': Trump's ex-lawyer on his $1B+ disclosure | CNN/Erin Burnett | 07/01/26 | 17:13

The revolt against U.S. AI labs
Axios | Madison Mills | 07/03/26

For 20 minutes on CNBC Wednesday, Palantir CEO Alex Karp unloaded on frontier AI labs, arguing they've become so obsessed with building ever-more-powerful models that they're failing their biggest enterprise customers.

The big picture: Karp put his finger on a trend: U.S. companies are increasingly turning to cheaper Chinese AI models just as the Trump administration is blocking access to some of the best American AI tools - a double whammy for domestic AI labs.

What they're saying: Karp said CEOs are telling him privately that they're getting "no value" out of enterprise AI tools, which they're "tired of." He added that AI labs are charging too much.

David Sacks, former White House AI czar, agreed with Karp. "Legacy media types" calling the interview a "crash-out" is "your first clue that he is actually saying something extremely insightful," Sacks wrote on X.

Zoom in: The cost part of the problem has driven a slew of companies to start using Chinese AI models to cut their IT bills. ... Read more

Haberman and Swan on 'Regime Change,' their book on Trump's unconstrained 2nd term | PBS NewsHour | 07/03/26 | 10:04

Olympian indicted for allegedly vandalizing Reflecting Pool
Axios | Josephine Walker | 07/03/26

Former Olympic canoeist David Hearn was indicted Thursday for destroying property after he allegedly reached into Washington D.C.'s Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, per a bench warrant reviewed by Axios.

Why it matters: It's the first indictment prosecutors have secured since President Trump asserted that vandals had damaged D.C.'s reflecting pool shortly after it underwent a $14 million upgrade.

What they're saying: "Today is about accountability for damaging a national resource, a national treasure, and that is the reflecting pool," U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro told reporters Thursday.

"A grand jury has returned a felony indictment against a defendant, David Hearn, for felony destruction of property, for which he faces 10 years in prison." ... Read more

Who's speaking for the Fed? Not Kevin Warsh
Politico | Victoria Guida | 07/02/26

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh has kicked off his tenure atop the central bank by pointedly saying little about his views on the outlook for the economy and interest rates.

But markets are still hearing plenty from the Fed.

Other U.S. central bankers are quickly filling the void, feeding investor expectations that the Fed will ultimately hike rates this year, perhaps the most crucial question facing the economy. In the past week, nearly a third of Fed officials have weighed in on where policy might be heading. Warsh has said next to nothing.

The Fed chief is the world's most important voice on economic policy, and Warsh's decision to stay quiet is a break from the decades-long practice of the chair providing key signposts for global investors. The lack of any clear signal from the top of the institution risks stoking volatility in financial markets, if expectations whipsaw about what the Fed might do, and makes it harder for businesses and households to plan for the future. ... Read more

What the Supreme Court's decision means for the FTC
Axios | Ashley Gold | 07/02/26

The Federal Trade Commission is now under stronger presidential control - with no more opportunity for partisan dissent - following the Supreme Court's decision that President Trump can fire its members.

Why it matters: Any realistic chance the agency in charge of consumer protection, kids' online safety, tech competition and fighting deceptive and unfair practices will have any Democrats during this administration is effectively gone.

The FTC will keep doing its job as outlined by the law.

Driving the news: The Supreme Court ruled this week that the president has the right to fire independent agency commissioners and overturned a long-standing precedent, Humphrey's Executor, which limited that ability. ... Read more

Exclusive: UN launches "AI for Good" commission
Axios | Ashley Gold | 07/01/26

A new UN-backed commission will bring top tech executives and heads of state to the same table to forge global solutions for AI, per an announcement shared exclusively with Axios.

Why it matters: As global AI regulation grows more splintered, this initiative is an attempt to connect the executives building advanced AI with a group of global politicians.

Driving the news: The UNand its International Telecommunication Union are convening the AI for Good Global Commission, which will hold its first meeting on July 8 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Who will be there ...

What they're saying: "AI is the most profound technological transition in history. And our values have to guide every step, because responsibility is the core of AI ethics," Benioff told Axios.

Between the lines: World governments are miles apart on how AI should be regulated, even as many countries agree that democratic values should govern the technology. ... Read more

Trump's second-term windfall: $1.4B in crypto earnings
Politico | Declan Harty | 06/30/26

President Donald Trump earned more than $1.4 billion in income through several cryptocurrency ventures in 2025, according to his latest financial disclosures, a staggering sum that underscores his embrace of the upstart industry.

The 927-page document, released Tuesday, shows that Trump made more than $636 million through CIC Digital - a Trump Organization affiliate that is behind his eponymous memecoin, $TRUMP. Most of that came through a licensing agreement that CIC Digital had with another entity called Celebration Coins.

Another Trump family-backed crypto company, World Liberty Financial, generated nearly $600 million in income, according to the disclosures. World Liberty was co-founded by Trump, his sons and the family of special envoy Steve Witkoff in the middle of the 2024 presidential campaign. It's now behind several prominent crypto tokens. ... Read more

Redistricting: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | LastWeekTonight | 05/30/26 | 23:22

This Is How the World Ends According to Science | PBS Terra | 2026 | 11:46

A Hidden Antarctic Tipping Point May Have Just Been Triggered | PBS Terra | 2026 | 11:33

It's Already Dead. They Just Won't Admit It. | Eric Hanson | 07/01/26 | 21:56