We Have a Cheap, Effective Way to Limit COVID-19 Spread | Time

At long last, we have made a truly game-changing scientific breakthrough in preventing the spread of COVID-19. The impact of this breakthrough seems almost too good to be true. https://time.com/5861295/masks-covid19-spread-fighting/

Bottomless Pinocchio: Trump’s claim that he will ‘always’ protect those with preexisting conditions - The Washington Post

Just as the number of weekly coronavirus cases reached a new high in the United States, the Trump administration filed a legal brief asking the Supreme Court to strike down the entire Affordable Care Act. About 20 million people covered through the act could lose their health insurance if Trump succeeds, among many other consequences bearing directly on the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/29/bottomless-pinocchio-trumps-claim-that-he-will-always-protect-those-with-preexisting-conditions/

COVER YOUR FREAKIN' FACE! - A Randy Rainbow Song Parody

https://youtu.be/6kOesPt7iBY

Find Your Home's Flood Factor | Flood Factor

Past floods, current risks, and future projections based on peer-reviewed research from the world’s leading flood modelers.

https://floodfactor.com/

Illusionist Derren Brown Reads Seth’s Mind

Illusionist Derren Brown shows Seth a mind-blowing trick with two cards and series of photographs.
https://youtu.be/VEPNpy_5T24

Derren Brown Blows James Corden's Mind Again

Psychological illusionist Derren Brown shocks James and the Studio 56 audience with only a pair of dice, a series of numbers, and 45 grains of rice.
https://youtu.be/zAJHUv2JS7w

Rowan Atkinson - Interview with Elton John

Rowan Atkinson interviews Elton John at Hysteria 3
https://youtu.be/Nl0HqlbX7dc

Explaining Bostock v. Clayton County (Opening Arguments podcast OA397)

This episode breaks down exactly what happened in the Supreme Court’s surprising 6-3 decision in Bostock v. Clayton County holding that discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity is discrimination “because of sex” under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It’s a great decision, we tell you why, and we give you some additional insights about Neil Gorsuch.

We begin by diving into the case! We tell you exactly what it does (and doesn’t) mean, figure out why this case took so long to get to a decision, and how it’s exactly the ruling we thought might have been possible ever since the 7th Circuit’s en banc decision in Hively v. Ivy Tech that we discussed way back in Episode 60.

In figuring that out, we discuss the narrow differences between “texualism” and “originalism,” even though this show tends to lump them together.

As part of the analysis, we take a look into Neil Gorsuch’s voting patterns to see if he’s a secret liberal. Hint: he isn’t.

After all that, it’s time for the #T3BE answer on Constitutional law. Can the university fire a professor for her political views? Listen and find out!
Interview:
https://openargs.com/oa397-explaining-bostock-v-clayton-county/

Top U.S. & World Headlines — June 29, 2020

https://youtu.be/M630EC-NhCs

The data is in: Fox News may have kept millions from taking the coronavirus threat seriously - The Washington Post

Three studies reinforce what many suspected about early coverage by right-wing news sources — that it was not just dismissive but dangerously so....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/media/the-data-is-in-fox-news-may-have-kept-millions-from-taking-the-coronavirus-threat-seriously/2020/06/26/60d88aa2-b7c3-11ea-a8da-693df3d7674a_story.html

4 San Jose Officers Put on Leave Amid Probe Into Racist Facebook Posts - The New York Times

"The Plain View Project, a database tracking inflammatory posts from the police across eight U.S. departments, found about one in five current officers have engaged in Facebook activity involving biased comments and racist, Islamophobic and misogynistic language."

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/28/us/san-jose-police-facebook.html

Debt

The Greatest Generation sacrificed everything for our country. But Donald Trump wants to sacrifice them for the economy when they're in their greatest time of need.
https://youtu.be/XOty4J1b0FU

Michael Flynn, Barack Obama and Trump’s claims of ‘treason’ - The Washington Post

Here's a guide to unsubstantiated claims by Trump allies that a Jan. 5, 2017 Oval Office meeting led to the prosecution of former national security adviser Michael Flynn.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/26/michael-flynn-barack-obama-trumps-claims-treason/

Video retweeted by Trump shows supporter yelling "white power" - Axios

President Trump tweeted, "Thank you to the great people of The Villages" on Sunday morning in response to a video of protesters verbally clashing with Trump supporters — including one man who yelled "white power" while passing in a golf cart.
https://www.axios.com/trump-tweet-white-power-ff76fd0a-06d9-4495-82af-ea811ed9abf9.html

Protesters Demand Justice For Elijah McClain As Outrage Grows | NBC Nigh...

Elijah McClain was walking home last August from an Aurora, Colorado convenience store when police confronted him after a 911 call for being “suspicious.” The 23-year-old’s death has sparked outrage worldwide. The officers involved have been moved to non-enforcement duties and an investigation is underway. ....
https://youtu.be/fdPONJDuryM

Lincoln Project praised for new ad on Trump and Putin: ‘As brutal as any political ad I’ve ever seen’ – Raw Story

Longtime Republican strategists who are fed up with President Donald Trump released their latest ad on Saturday, which quickly went viral online. The Lincoln Project released their latest ad, titled, “Bounty” only one day after the bombshell report that Russia had offered bounties for the killing of U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/06/lincoln-project-praised-for-new-ad-on-trump-and-putin-as-brutal-as-any-political-ad-ive-ever-seen/

Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man - Episode 2 with Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey sits down with Emmanuel Acho to have an uncomfortable conversation with a black man https://youtu.be/CwiY4i8xWIc

Donald Trump’s re-election playbook: 25 ways he'll lie, cheat and abuse his power

From now until November, opponents of the most lawless president in history face a fight for democracy itself
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jun/28/donald-trump-re-election-playbook-25-lies-cheats-and-steals

America's Call For A Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement (On Point)

The call for a modern-day civil rights movement. We talk to two scholars of history about the need for change and healing.
Interview:
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2020/06/09/america-modern-day-civil-rights-movement

Will You Be Able To Read John Bolton’s Book? (Opening Arguments podcast OA396.5)

Today’s bonus episode takes a deep dive into the lawsuit brought by the Trump Administration to try and block the publication of John Bolton’s tell-all book. We break down the legal arguments and tell you whether you can look forward to getting that copy you ordered or not. (And seriously, you shouldn’t give money to John Bolton. He’s still a scumbag.)

We begin, however, with a quick Andrew Was Right! in that PG&E pleaded guilty to 84 counts of manslaughter; we told you PG&E was likely criminally liable way back in Episode 241!

Then, it’s time to break down the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 which just passed the House Judiciary Committee and is an unambiguously good bill. Listen and find out why!

After that, it’s time to dig in to both the Complaint and the motion for TRO filed by the United States on behalf of Donald Trump because John Bolton’s book made Trump feel bad. Do we really live in a society in which that happened? Yes. Do we live in one in which the court will grant injunctive relief? No. Listen and find out why.
Interview:
https://openargs.com/oa396-5-bonus-episode-will-you-be-able-to-read-john-boltons-book/

Freedom To Be Yourself (Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Freethought Radio podcast)

We celebrate this week's Supreme Court Bostock decision affirming civil-rights protections to the LGBTQ community. FFRF attorney Patrick Elliott explains how that case relates to religious liberty. After hearing the song "Freedom From Religion," we talk with Jon Steingard, the former lead singer of the Christian rock band Hawk Nelson, who just announced on Instagram that he no longer believes in God.
Interview:
https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/freethought-radio/e/71461621

Justice Department Issues Warning About Fake Mask Exempt Cards : Coronavirus Live Updates : NPR

Public health experts overwhelmingly agree that one of the best ways to slow the spread of the coronavirus is to wear a mask. Still, the seemingly straightforward recommendation to secure a covering over one's nose and mouth has proven one of the pandemic's more partisan issues. The Department of Justice is now warning that a card circulating online is falsely claiming its holder is lawfully exempt from wearing a mask.
https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/06/27/884272188/justice-department-issues-warning-about-fake-mask-exempt-cards

Trump bruised as polls favour Biden – but experts warn of risk of dirty tricks

It was the death of a salesman. With tie undone and crumpled “Make America great again” cap in hand, Donald Trump cut a forlorn figure shambling across the White House south lawn on his return from his failed comeback rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Some observers likened him to Willy Loman, the tragic protagonist of Arthur Miller’s benchmark drama. The US president, critics say, has spent years selling a bill of goods to the American people. Now they are no longer buying. ....
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/27/trump-election-biden-polls-2020

Why policing is better abroad (Pod Save the World podcast)

Tommy and Ben examine how other countries structure and run their police forces to see if there are policies or tactics the US can adopt to improve outcomes. New data suggests that claims of election fraud in Bolivia were wrong. Why the possibility of creating a Palestinian state is in jeopardy. The international movement to get rid of racist statues and monuments. Trump orders US troops out of Germany. Honor killings in Iran. Why John Bolton is sad. And then the Washington Post’s David Ignatius joins to talk about his new spy novel The Paladin, why Generals are abandoning Trump, General Flynn’s call with Russia and more.
Interview:
https://www.spreaker.com/user/9513168/why-policing-is-better-abroad

The Power Of Police Unions (The 1A)

In the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd, massive protests have rocked the nation. While the police officers involved have been arrested and charged, it’s been a catalyst for reexamining police departments in almost every community. Now, some activists and politicians are calling for police reform.

But powerful police unions could stop the movement. Although union membership has decreased, the high level of membership in police unions means they can spend heavily on curbing reform efforts.

In Minneapolis, council members are looking to disband the police department for a new public safety model. But those plans could be dead on arrival under police union chief Bob Kroll. He’s a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump and fierce police advocate.

Will unions stand in the way of reform? What role could they play in this movement?
Interview:
https://the1a.org/segments/the-power-of-police-unions/

Protest works. (Pod Save America podcast)

The mass demonstrations against police violence and racism have ignited a debate about transformational change, Republican and military leaders start to abandon Trump, and the President celebrates double-digit unemployment. Then Los Angeles District Attorney candidate George Gascón talks to Tommy about progressive criminal justice reform.
Interview:
https://www.spreaker.com/user/9513168/protest-works

Happy Juneteenth from the Supreme Court! (Opening Arguments podcast OA396)

Today’s episode might have been titled “Andrew Was Really, Really Wrong,” as we break down this rather surprising week in the Supreme Court, including the Title VII cases, the Court’s refusal to grant cert on any gun case, and the DACA decision.

We begin with a quick Happy Juneteenth!

From there, we tackle the ways in which Andrew Was Wrong, starting with the Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, the consolidated case in which the Court has now held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects sexual orientation and gender identity. We promise you it isn’t a poison pill; it’s an unambiguously good decision.

After that, it’s time to talk about another thing Andrew was wrong about that’s kind of flown under the radar — the fact that the Supreme Court denied certiorari in all 10 of the pending gun cases, allowing some good rulings to stand and forestalling some bad new law on the Second Amendment.

Then, it’s time to break down the Court’s ruling in Regents of the University of California v. Trump, the case involving whether the Trump administration can unilaterally end DACA. The Court ruled they can’t — but this decision has a number of red flags in it that we discuss on the show.

After all that, it’s time for a brand-new #T3BE about constitutional law and whether a religious university can fire a professor for what she writes in an op-ed?
Interview:
https://openargs.com/oa396-happy-juneteenth-from-the-supreme-court/

100 degrees in Siberia? 5 ways the extreme Arctic heat wave follows a disturbing pattern

The Arctic heat wave that sent Siberian temperatures soaring to around 100 degrees Fahrenheit on the first day of summer put an exclamation point on an astonishing transformation of the Arctic environment that’s been underway for about 30 years.
https://theconversation.com/100-degrees-in-siberia-5-ways-the-extreme-arctic-heat-wave-follows-a-disturbing-pattern-141442

How 'white fragility' obstructs the fight against racism – video explainer

Robin DiAngelo’s bestselling book White Fragility has provoked an uncomfortable but vital conversation about what it means to be white. As protests organised by the Black Lives Matter movement continue around the world, she explains why white people should stop avoiding conversations about race because of their own discomfort, and how 'white fragility' plays a key role in upholding systemic racism...
https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/jun/26/how-white-fragility-obstructs-the-fight-against-racism-video-explainer

The secretive government agency planting 'cyanide bombs' across the US

Wildlife Services kills thousands of animals at ranchers and farmers’ behest. But it operates with little oversight – and critics describe it as out of control https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jun/26/cyanide-bombs-wildfire-services-idaho

Roseanne Barr Anticipates Trump Ending Debt To Counter Titanic Sinking Plot

Roseanne Barr predicted that President Donald Trump will cancel debts and end income taxation, in a rebuke to an unevidenced conspiracy stretching back more than a century, to the 1912 sinking of the Titanic....
https://www.newsweek.com/roseanne-barr-titanic-donald-trump-federal-reserve-gold-standard-1513775

Week In The News: COVID-19 Surge, House Police Reform Bill, DOJ Hearing (On Point)

It’s the week in review. Justice Department officials testify in Congress, the House passes a police reform bill and COVID-19 cases spike in the United States.
Interview:
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2020/06/26/week-in-the-news-covid-19-surge-judiciary-committee-hearing-police-reform-bill

The News Roundup — Domestic (The 1A) 2020-06-26

Texas set coronavirus records this week when 5,000 new cases were confirmed in the state in a single day for the first time. The hospitalization rate in the state was so high that the largest pediatric hospital in the country began treating adult patients.

Aaron Zelinsky, a federal prosecutor, told the House Judiciary Committee in testimony given this week that senior officials in the Justice Department said that they were being pressured into going easy in the case of longtime Donald Trump associate Roger Stone.

President Donald Trump promised this week to sign an executive order that would protect Confederate statues and monuments from vandalism. Details about when the order would be signed or its specifics weren’t offered.
Interview:
https://the1a.org/segments/the-news-roundup-domestic-2020-26-06/

The News Roundup — International (The 1A) 2020-06-26

Saudi Arabia has limited the number of people allowed to make the annual hajj pilgrimage due to coronavirus. Hajj typically draws up to 2.5 million Muslims from across the globe, but this year only 1,000 will be allowed. And the Palestinian Liberation Organization is calling for justice after Israeli police shot Ahmed Erekat, a 27-year-old Palestinian man.

President Donald Trump imposed a freeze on work visas and green cards for new immigrants to the United States. The freeze will last until the end of the year. And in a 7-2 vote, the Supreme Court ruled that immigrants whose asylum requests were denied can not contest them in the future.

The New York Times is reporting that the European Union may ban Americans from traveling when nations reopen next month. And the president of Kosovo was indicted on 10 counts of war crimes committed against Serbia. Kosovo’s president was set to visit the White House this week.

Singapore is planning to hold the first election in southeast Asia since the pandemic started. Meanwhile, the U.S. will start treating four Chinese news outlets as state embassies. The U.S. alleging that they are mouthpieces for the Chinese government.

A judge in Brazil is ordering Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to wear a mask in public or face a fine. And in other parts of Latin America, coronavirus cases are spiking. Chile is now seventh in the world in cases, after a rushed reopening. This week, Mexico confirmed 947 coronavirus deaths in one day, the country’s second highest daily toll since the pandemic began.
Interview:
https://the1a.org/segments/the-news-roundup-international-2020-26-06/

Portrait Of Police Reform: How Camden, New Jersey Rebuilt Its Police Department

In 2013, the city of Camden, New Jersey fired all of its police officers and rebuilt the department. We look at the lessons learned for today.
Interview:
https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2020/06/11/police-reform-camden-new-jersey-rebuilt-its-police-department

“Let the healing begin!” (Pod Save America podcast)

Trump prepares for a potential speech on race and unity by attacking an elderly protester and defending Confederate-named buildings, Republicans feel the pressure on police reform, and Joe Biden opens up a big lead in the polls. Then Stacey Abrams talks to Jon about the voting disaster in Georgia and her new book, Our Time Is Now.

Interview: 

https://www.spreaker.com/user/9513168/let-the-healing-begin

The Andrew Was Already Wrong Show! (Opening Arguments podcast OA395)

Today’s show takes a deep dive into the Supreme Court, with the theme of “Shame Justice Roberts,” and we recorded this… just before Justice Roberts (and, surprisingly, Neil Gorsuch) voted to affirm in the Zarda cases, recognizing that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964’s prohibition “on the basis of sex” includes sexual orientation. Andrew was (happily) wrong indeed.

We begin, however, with a discussion of the latest madness coming out of the Senate Judiciary Committee and how Andrew would fight it.

Then, it’s time for our Supreme Court roundup, which featured not only Zarda, but a look at the pending gun cases (all of which were denied) and an analysis of the South Bay Pentecostal Church v. Newsom decision permitting California to establish medical restrictions on churches and other places of public accommodation.

After all that, it’s time for the answer to #T3BE involving real property!
Interview:
https://openargs.com/oa394-the-andrew-was-already-wrong-show/

Markets drop following Fed stress test of banks | TheHill

Markets opened down Friday morning after the Federal Reserve said many banks would face difficulties in the event of a prolonged or deepening coronavirus crisis. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 150 points, or 0.6 percent, and the S&P 500 fell 13 points, or 0.4 percent. On Thursday, the Fed said it would restrict banks from stock buybacks and limit dividends to investors based on the results of its latest bank stress test.....
https://thehill.com/policy/finance/504677-markets-drop-following-fed-stress-test-of-banks

A Company Run by a White House “Volunteer” With No Experience in Medical Supplies Got $2.4 Million From the Feds for Medical Supplies — ProPublica

A $2.4 million deal to supply the Bureau of Prisons with surgical gowns was the second multimillion dollar contract for coronavirus supplies that went to somebody who did work for the White House but had little relevant experience.
https://www.propublica.org/article/a-company-run-by-a-white-house-volunteer-with-no-experience-in-medical-supplies-got-2.4-million-from-the-feds-for-medical-supplies

Trump Suggests Navy Chose Wisconsin Firm to Help Him

IN WHAT SOUNDED like a confession that his administration is corruptly using federal funds to boost his re-election campaign, President Donald Trump told workers at a shipyard in Wisconsin on Thursday that “one of the big factors” in the Navy awarding a $5.5 billion contract to their firm was, “your location in Wisconsin, if you want to know the truth.” https://theintercept.com/2020/06/25/trump-suggests-navy-sent-5-billion-wisconsin-firm-help-win-election/

Trump keeps saying Obama left him ‘no ventilators.’ The number is 16,660 - The Washington Post

Over and over, Trump knocks the Obama administration for leaving an 'empty' cupboard of ventilators. That's false.....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/25/trump-keeps-saying-obama-left-him-no-ventilators-number-is-16660/

Wilmington, N.C., police officers fired for racist talk, suggesting killing black people - The Washington Post

Sitting in his patrol car in Wilmington, N.C., Officer Michael “Kevin” Piner predicted Black Lives Matter protests would soon lead to civil war. “I’m ready,” Piner told another officer, adding that he planned to buy an assault rifle. “We are just going to go out and start slaughtering them f------ n------,” he said. ....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/25/wilmington-racist-police-recording/

Soldiers’ cases highlight reach of white supremacy in U.S. military - The Washington Post

Issue is receiving new attention amid broader conversation about racism and discrimination....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/soldiers-cases-highlight-reach-of-white-extremism-into-us-military/2020/06/25/0203532e-b582-11ea-9b0f-c797548c1154_story.html

Barr claims voting by mail will lead to fraud, 'counterfeiting.' Admits he has zero evidence.

The attorney general's comments in a new interview echoed those of the president who nominated him....
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/barr-claims-voting-mail-will-lead-fraud-counterfeiting-admits-he-n1232208

One character, three actors: meet the stars of knotty Netflix smash Dark

Simultaneously set in at least four points in time, the third series of the cult German sci-fi will be its last. But can the trio who play Jonas keep up with where’s it’s heading? https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/jun/25/netflix-dark-louis-hofmann-andreas-pietschmann-dietrich-hollinderbaumer

These New Jersey cities reformed their police – what happened next?

Camden and Newark have seen structural reforms to their departments and a drop in crime, but for residents, the trauma of violence is still palpable
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/25/camden-newark-new-jersey-police-reform

Steps

159 years ago Abraham Lincoln asked, “Will you risk the commission of so fearful a mistake?" Today, we hope our elected leaders will listen.
https://youtu.be/B0kMFyOtO0M

Police Officer Allegedly Slammed Black Man To The Ground, Broke His Wrist After Mistaking Him For A Suspect

Antonio Smith is suing the city and police department in Valdosta, Georgia, for using excessive force against him in an incident that was captured on body cameras. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tasneemnashrulla/black-man-files-police-excessive-force-lawsuit-in-georgia

Atheists and humanists facing discrimination across the world, report finds

The report is largely based on testimony from 76 people in the eight countries surveyed https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/25/atheists-and-humanists-facing-discrimination-across-the-world-report-finds

How Chinese spies penetrated the Trump White House – Raw Story

Communist Chinese government operatives got into the Trump White House and also sat at a confidential Republican election strategy meeting, Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal reports. Some of the conduct the Journal described could form the basis for federal felony indictments. https://www.rawstory.com/2020/06/how-chinese-spies-penetrated-the-trump-white-house/

Opinion | America Is Facing 5 Epic Crises All at Once - The New York Times

This is not the time to obsess about symbolism.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/25/opinion/us-coronavirus-protests.html

Opinion | America Didn’t Give Up on Covid-19. Republicans Did. - The New York Times

Partisanship has crippled our response.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/25/opinion/coronavirus-republicans.html

Trump keeps claiming that the most dangerous cities in America are all run by Democrats. They aren’t. - The Washington Post

With the economy hobbled by the coronavirus pandemic and protesters in the streets targeting America’s systemic racism, President Trump has been forced to revise his reelection strategy. What was once going to be a triumphal declaration of his effectiveness at keeping the economy afloat has been reworked as a reiteration of his 2016 run: a focus on making America great and, more specifically, on law and order. Over and over, Trump has shared that terse phrase with his tens of millions of Twitter followers, including on Wednesday and Thursday. And over and over, he has tried to imply that Democrats broadly and former vice president Joe Biden specifically are soft on crime. That his likely general election opponent and other leaders in the Democratic Party are happy to have social structures collapse into anarchy for some unclear reason. To make that case, Trump has repeatedly lifted up a statistical factoid, as he did during an event at the White House on Wednesday. ...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/25/trump-keeps-claiming-that-most-dangerous-cities-america-are-all-run-by-democrats-they-arent/

Trump Threatens ‘Retribution’ Against ‘Terrorist’ Protesters

Eric Trump called Black Lives Matter protesters “animals.” His father prefers to call them “terrorists.” “Every night we’re going to get tougher and tougher. At some point there is going to be retribution because there has to be,” President Trump told Sean Hannity during a Fox News town hall event that will air Thursday night. Referring to demonstrators who have torn down or defaced statues and monuments, he added, “These people are vandals. But they’re agitators, but they’re really, they’re terrorists in a sense.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-threatens-retribution-against-terrorist-protesters

Trump Regulators Just Rolled Back a Major Obama Era Bank Reform – Mother Jones

On Thursday, five federal regulatory agencies voted to roll back a key financial rule enacted following the 2008 financial crisis. The change will make it easier for banks to invest in venture capital and will tweak some restrictions on bank investing in hedge funds and private equity—all forms of riskier investing that Congress limited after 2010. The revised rule will also shrink the financial cushion that banks are required to keep on hand during certain types of derivatives trading. This particular change could free up an estimated $40 billion of capital for banks to trade with. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/06/trump-regulators-just-rolled-back-a-major-obama-era-bank-reform/

Trump faces ObamaCare court deadline as political ground shifts | TheHill

The Trump administration is expected by Thursday to file a legal brief urging the Supreme Court to strike down ObamaCare, even as coronavirus cases climb across the U.S. and soaring unemployment forces millions off employer-based health plans.
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/504426-trump-faces-obamacare-court-deadline-as-political-ground-shifts

Down the rabbit hole: how QAnon conspiracies thrive on Facebook

Guardian investigation finds more than 3m aggregate followers and members support QAnon on Facebook, and their numbers are growing....
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/jun/25/qanon-facebook-conspiracy-theories-algorithm

Wrongfully accused by an algorithm | The Seattle Times

In what may be the first known case of its kind, a faulty facial recognition match led to a Michigan man’s arrest for a crime he did not commit.....
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/24/technology/facial-recognition-arrest.html

RWW News: Eric Metaxas Says Black Lives Matter is an 'Evil Enemy' Run by 'Mad Marxist Anarchists'

Eric Metaxas says that Black Lives Matter is "an evil enemy" run by "mad Marxist anarchists" and insists that the Bible and white Christians deserve credit for ending slavery in America....
https://youtu.be/ekf-R4NiyCc

Cartoon: Time is a flat circle

https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/6/24/1955565/-Cartoon-Time-is-a-flat-circle

Head of international criminal court accuses US of acting unlawfully

ICC president condemns US visa restrictions on officials in Afghan war investigation .....
https://www.theguardian.com/law/2020/jun/24/head-of-international-criminal-court-accuses-us-of-acting-unlawfully

Maria Ressa’s conviction spells trouble for democracy in the Philippines - The Washington Post

Maria Ressa is a journalistic force in the Philippines and that’s why the country’s prevailing powers-that-be are trying to shut her up. Last week, a Manila court found Ressa and a colleague of hers at Rappler — the enterprising, investigative operation to which she is executive editor and CEO — guilty of cyber-libel related to a 2012 story that cited an intelligence report linking a prominent businessman to possible drug trafficking. Ressa did not write or edit the piece and the charges set against her were based on a law that was not yet on the country’s books at the time of the article’s publication.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/06/23/maria-ressa-philippines-democracy-duterte/

How A President Leads

Biden is the clear choice when it comes to compassionate and decent leadership. In a battle of heart, mind, and character Joe Biden wins by a landslide. We need to ensure that’s reflected in the vote this November.
https://youtu.be/Y5TiyJ7JWRE

A prosecutor’s blistering rebuke of Barr’s politicized Justice Department, annotated - The Washington Post

In the statement issued to the House Judiciary Committee, Aaron Zelinsky describes a process that was at times explicitly politicized, thanks to Trump's own interests.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/23/prosecutors-blistering-rebuke-barrs-politicized-justice-department-annotated/