DN Speak Daily

Saturday, July 29, 2017

Friday News Roundup – International (Joshua Johnson, 1A) 2017-07-28

The U.S. slaps sanctions on Venezuela officials as opposition leaders organize another strike against the government. Speaking of U.S. sanctions, new ones have been imposed on Russia. Plus, tensions ease in a standoff over one the world’s holiest sites and the latest on Qatar’s PR offensive to counter a regional feud.

A panel of journalists joins Joshua Johnson for analysis of the week’s top international news stories.
Interview:
http://the1a.org/shows/2017-07-28/friday-news-roundup-international

Top U.S. & World Headlines — July 28, 2017

Interview:
https://youtu.be/Rvl7pbM1m_M

The tragedy of Charlie Gard exposes conservatives’ morality deficit -- Salon

Charlie Gard, the British baby whose parents had been fighting to get him medical care in the United States in the off-chance that it might save his life, passed away on Friday. His plight was seized upon by conservatives in the United States who used his case to argue against a nationalized health care model.
http://www.salon.com/2017/07/28/the-tragedy-of-charlie-gard-illuminates-conservatives-morality-deficit/

DOJ: Title VII does not protect sexual orientation - CNNPolitics.com

The Justice Department filed an amicus brief Wednesday saying that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not cover employment "discrimination based on sexual orientation."

The DOJ filed the brief in the case of Donald Zarda, who had filed suit against his former employer Altitude Express in a case that questions whether sexual orientation is included in Title VII's protections....
http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/26/politics/doj-amicus-brief-title-vii-sexual-orientation/index.html

Senators buck Sessions, move to protect state medical marijuana laws -- Ars Technica

Senators approved an amendment Thursday that would maintain protections. ...
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/07/despite-sessions-pleas-senators-push-to-protect-state-medical-marijuana-laws/

A complete failure of Trump's leadership -- CNN

Julian Zelizer says the collapse of the GOP effort to repeal Obamacare is an epic fail by Donald Trump, who subverted the process with distractions, threats and a failure to engage with the details of the policy.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/28/opinions/trump-complete-failure-of-leadership-opinion-zelizer/index.html

Human embryos reportedly edited for first time in the US using CRISPR - The Verge

The scientists effectively corrected disease-causing genes...
https://www.theverge.com/2017/7/27/16049340/human-embryos-dna-crispr-gene-editing-us

Trump Administration Advances School Vouchers Despite Scant Evidence - Scientific American

Studies show that school vouchers lead to lower math and reading scores. So why has the Trump administration embraced them?...
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/trump-administration-advances-school-vouchers-despite-scant-evidence/?WT.mc_id=send-to-friend

Why Moscow’s retaliation for U.S. sanctions is a major escalation

Russia announced that the U.S. would need to drastically reduce the number of officials working in the country, and barred the U.S. from using two properties there. The announcement was retaliation for actions taken by the U.S., including the seizure of two Russian-owned compounds and a Senate-approved bill that includes new sanctions....
Interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7n4xOQ4yq8&feature=youtu.be

Shields and Brooks on Reince Priebus’ exit, GOP health bill’s defeat

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week's news, including President Trump’s firing of White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and what it means for relations with the Republican Party, the Senate’s rejection of a “skinny repeal” of the Affordable Care Act and Anthony Scaramucci’s obscene tirade....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQQqLpf1kiI&feature=youtu.be

Scaramucci Lashes Out, GOP Scrambles on Health Care: A Closer Look

Seth takes a closer look at the backlash the Trump White House continues to face over the President's cruel and sudden decision to ban transgender people from serving in the military....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD91AOD4XCk&feature=youtu.be

The most alarming passages from Trump’s fearmongering Long Island speech -- Vox

A bleak picture of American immigration — and a suggestion that law enforcement should use whatever means necessary to get violence under control. ...
https://www.vox.com/2017/7/28/16059554/trump-long-island-speech

Inside The 'Shakespearean Irony' Of Trump And Bannon's Relationship (Terry Gross, Fresh Air)

In August 2016, three months before the presidential election, Republican nominee Donald Trump was behind in the polls. Instead of staying on message, the candidate was engaged in a politically damaging fight with the parents of an Army captain killed in Iraq.

On Aug. 17, in an effort to change course, the Trump team appointed Steve Bannon, the former executive chairman of the conservative Breitbart News, to lead the campaign. Journalist Joshua Green of Bloomberg Businessweek says the switch would prove to be a turning point.

"[Trump] was headed toward a pretty serious loss, and Bannon brought his wealth of anti-Clinton knowledge into the campaign and managed to keep Trump focused on a target," Green says.

Green argues that Bannon's experiences with Breitbart gave him a framework for mobilizing disaffected young white male voters who were attracted to Trump. Without such guidance, Green says, "I don't think that Donald Trump would have been elected president."

Despite Bannon's success in the campaign, Green says that the adviser's nationalist vision remains largely unfulfilled. "The kind of tragic, Shakespearean irony of the Donald Trump-Steve Bannon relationship is that Bannon finally did find the vessel for his ideas who could get elected president ... [but who] now doesn't have the focus, the wherewithal, the self-control to even do the basic things that a president needs to do."

Green's new book, Devil's Bargain, profiles Bannon and explains his role in Trump's election.
Interview:
http://www.npr.org/2017/07/18/537885042/inside-the-shakespearean-irony-of-trump-and-bannons-relationship

Jason Bateman: New ‘Arrested Development’ Season Will Take On Trump -- The Daily Beast

Jason Bateman is a very busy man. The next year-plus will see the actor star in not one, but two anticipated Netflix series. ...
http://www.thedailybeast.com/jason-bateman-new-arrested-development-season-will-take-on-trump

Ark Encounter’s Latest Attempt to Avoid Paying City’s “Safety Fee”? Rejected.

There’s a controversy brewing in Williamstown, Kentucky that involves Ark Encounter and the City Council. If the two sides can’t resolve their issues, we may see a lawsuit very soon, but that would be disastrous for the city and unwelcome publicity for the Creationists....
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2017/07/19/ark-encounters-latest-attempt-to-avoid-paying-citys-safety-fee-rejected/

Dissident Chinese billionaire says China has 25,000 spies in the US -- Business Insider

Beijing's spy networks in the United States include up to 25,000 Chinese intelligence officers and more than 15,000 recruited agents who have stepped up offensive spying activities since 2012, according to a Chinese dissident with close ties to Beijing's military and intelligence establishment. ...
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/chinas-spy-network-united-states-includes-25000-intelligence-officers/