“In the waning weeks of Donald Trump’s term, the country’s top military leader repeatedly worried about what the president might do to maintain power after losing reelection, comparing his rhetoric to Adolf Hitler’s during the rise of Nazi Germany and asking confidants whether a coup was forthcoming, according to a new book by two Washington Post reporters.
As Trump ceaselessly pushed false claims about the 2020 presidential election, Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, grew more and more nervous, telling aides he feared that the president and his acolytes might attempt to use the military to stay in office, Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker report in ‘I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump’s Catastrophic Final Year.’
Milley described ‘a stomach-churning’ feeling as he listened to Trump’s untrue complaints of election fraud, drawing a comparison to the 1933 attack on Germany’s parliament building that Hitler used as a pretext to establish a Nazi dictatorship.
‘This is a Reichstag moment,’ Milley told aides, according to the book. ‘The gospel of the Führer.’
A spokesman for Milley declined to comment.
Portions of the book related to Milley — first reported Wednesday night by CNN ahead of the book’s July 20 release — offer a remarkable window into the thinking of America’s highest-ranking military officer, who saw himself as one of the last empowered defenders of democracy during some of the darkest days in the country’s recent history.
The episodes in the book are based on interviews with more than 140 people, including senior Trump administration officials, friends and advisers, Leonnig and Rucker write in an author’s note. Most agreed to speak candidly only on the condition of anonymity, and the scenes reported were reconstructed based on firsthand accounts and multiple other sources whenever possible.” Read more at Washington Post
“Millions of families with children will see more money in their bank accounts Thursday as part of the newly expanded Child Tax Credit. Eligible families will get up to $300 monthly for each child under age 6 and up to $250 monthly for each child over age 6 but under age 18. The payments are the result of President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion coronavirus-relief package passed in March. The law extended the tax credit, boosted the amount that eligible families could receive, and provided for half of the money to be made available in monthly installments at least through December. President Joe Biden does plan to extend the Child Tax Credit expansion past that December expiration, according to his administration. ‘We want this to be ultimately permanent,’ a senior administration official said.” Read more at USA Today
U.S. drug overdose deaths rose by nearly 30% last year.
“A deadlier supply of drugs laced with fentanyl and the destabilizing effects of the pandemic led to an estimated 93,331 deaths from drug overdoses in 2020. The record high represented the largest annual increase in three decades. Overdose deaths have been rising since late 2019, but began to take off after the pandemic hit in March 2020, resulting in social isolation, trauma and job losses, according to addiction experts and treatment providers. Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and is often mixed into illicit drugs like cocaine and ecstasy, often unknown to the user. An estimated 57,550 of the overdose deaths came from synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, an increase of more than 54% over 2019. ‘I can remember thinking 30,000 was an astounding number,’ said Robert Anderson, chief of the mortality statistics branch at the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. ‘Now we’re three times that. It’s crazy.’” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“'Absolutely chilling':FBI officials made false statements in the handling of sexual abuse allegations against USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, the Justice Department's inspector general said. Gymnasts, their parents and others expressed dismay, heartache and anger over the damning report.” Read more at USA Today
“Britney Spears' efforts to end her 13-year conservatorship continue Thursday, but with one major development: She now has an attorney of her own choosing. A judge in Los Angeles on Wednesday granted the pop star's request to hire Mathew Rosengart, a former federal prosecutor-turned-skilled litigator. During the hearing, Spears dialed in and said that she wanted to press charges for abuse. Hours later, she posted a video on Instagram riding a horse and doing cartwheels with a caption thanking her fans, using the hashtag #FreeBritney: ‘You have no idea what it means to me [to] be supported by such awesome fans !!!!’” Read more at USA Today
The Fed’s Jerome Powell says inflation will remain elevated before moderating.
“The Federal Reserve chairman said inflation, which has jumped in recent months, would likely remain at elevated levels for the near future. On Wednesday, Powell told the House Financial Services Committee that inflation ‘has been higher than we’ve expected and a little bit more persistent than we had expected and hoped,’ but that part of the run-up in prices stemmed from supply bottlenecks in industries like auto sales. Higher prices for used cars were responsible for about one-third of the overall 5.4% increase last month in the consumer price index, the fastest increase in 13 years. Powell said the Fed wouldn’t raise interest rates in response to what it sees as a one-time price increase and added that pricing pressures should ease once the supply pressures do. He is set to return to Capitol Hill today for a second day of testimony on the economy and monetary policy.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“The EU climate plan. The European Commission on Wednesday announced ambitious plans to cut carbon emissions by 55 percent by 2030, a slightly more ambitious target than a U.S. plan to cut emissions by 50 percent within the same timeframe. The EU plan includes a ban on new combustion-engine cars by 2035, and aims to boost renewable energy production to 40 percent of Europe’s energy mix, up from its current level of 20 percent. In a move likely to prompt retaliation from its trading partners, the EU plan also includes a proposal to place tariffs on imports from countries with weaker climate change regulations.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“The White House is pressing forward with vaccination awareness efforts and disinformation-busting campaigns as the Delta variant threatens to become even more pervasive. Yesterday, pop star Olivia Rodrigo visited the White House to meet with President Joe Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci to promote vaccines among younger Americans. US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy is among those asserting that disinformation about vaccines, especially myths and unfounded skepticism promoted by some Republicans, has become an urgent public health issue. Meanwhile, Indonesia is fast becoming Asia’s new Covid-19 epicenter, reporting more daily cases than even hard-hit India. Indonesia reported 54,517 new cases of Covid-19 yesterday, marking a new daily national record.” Read more at CNN
“US border authorities reportedly arrested or turned away 188,800 migrants from the US-Mexico border in June. That’s the highest monthly number in at least a decade, and brings the annual total of Customs and Border Protection encounters to more than 1 million. Overall, US border crossings have been on the upswing since May 2020. The US is now running more than 30,000 radio ads a month in Central America to deter migration as part of a larger mission in the area to target the root causes of such influxes. On the home front, DACA beneficiaries are desperately trying to keep or renew work permits amid a backlog of applications that accumulated during the coronavirus pandemic. In some cases, DACA workers are losing their jobs and health insurance despite applying for renewals on time.” Read more at CNN
“Democrats are already expressing differing opinions on the sweeping $3.5 trillion spending plan announced earlier this week. Senate Budget Chairman Bernie Sanders and Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal both want the top line for the sweeping spending bill to be higher, with Jayapal calling the current framework a ‘down payment.’ Still, the provisions set the stage for Democrats to pass monumental overhauls like expanding the child tax credit, broadening medical benefits and introducing new climate change proposals. It’s this last item -- climate change -- that has Sen. Joe Manchin, the Democrats’ most pivotal swing vote, on edge. He doesn’t like that the provision may eliminate needs for fossil fuels. But such measures will likely be necessary for the support of more progressive Democrats.” Read more at CNN
“Researchers in California reported Wednesday that they had developed and successfully tested an experimental brain implant that translates brain signals into words on a computer screen.
The achievement, described in a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine, marks a step toward technology that may one day help people speak by thinking. It also offers a glimmer of hope for the thousands of people who each year lose the ability to speak as a result of injury or illness.
Yet the limitations of the so-called speech neuroprosthesis indicate that brain-computer interface technology—in which tiny electrical signals from the brain are converted into actions in the physical world like speaking, typing or controlling a computer cursor—remains in its infancy. In recent years the technology has drawn the attention of academic scientists as well as techcompanies that hope to commercialize it, including Elon Musk’s Neuralink Corp., Kernel and Facebook Inc.
Facebook is a sponsor of the new research and said in a blog post that it was eager for the development of a noninvasive, wearable device that could allow people to type by thinking.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“The head of security at Haiti's presidential residence has been placed in police custody as authorities continue their investigation into the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise. Dimitri Herard reportedly traveled to Ecuador through Bogota, the capital of Colombia, at the end of May. The Colombian National Police is now investigating whether Herard, while he was there, met with any of the Colombian nationals allegedly involved in the assassination. A retired special forces soldier in Colombia told CNN that the 26 Colombians who have been accused of participating in the attack were actually hired to provide security to Moise. That has heightened the mystery around CTU Security, the Florida-based firm that brokered the jobs.” Read more at CNN
“The Biden administration is launching an effort to relocate thousands of Afghan interpreters and translators who worked for the US. Many of these Afghan allies fear for their safety amid the ongoing US troop withdrawal in Afghanistan. There are several ways this could go, and US officials have suggested the Afghans could be granted humanitarian parole, which would allow them to enter the US temporarily and be relocated to US military installations. Or, they could be granted opportunities in overseas locations. The Biden administration has faced criticism from bipartisan lawmakers and advocates for not doing enough to protect Afghan allies who may now be in danger as the Taliban gains ground.” Read more at CNN
“The president will host German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday in what is likely to be her last visit to Washington as head of state. The meetings will be far friendlier than the notoriously testy confrontations between Merkel and former President Donald Trump , who tussled over everything from NATO dues to the U.S. president’s Twitter taunts. Still, there will be contentious issues on the agenda. Among the toughest: the split between the U.S. and Germany over Nord Stream 2, the gas pipeline that would run from Russia to Germany and that U.S. fears will give Moscow increased leverage over Europe. A senior administration official said Biden will raise his objections over the pipeline with Merkel.” Read more at USA Today
“At least 20 people have died and dozens more are missing following heavy rainfall and severe flooding across the west of Germany, causing houses to collapse and cars to be swept away, local media reported Thursday.” Read more at Washington Post
“Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., plans to introduce theCannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, a draft bill that would decriminalize marijuana and remove it from the Controlled Substances Act.
That would allow pot to be regulated and taxed. The legislation would also expunge nonviolent marijuana-related arrests and convictions from federal records.” Read more at USA Today
“High-speed rail gets a boost from a new coalition. The U.S. High Speed Rail Coalition is trying to mobilize support for a $205 billion infusion of funding for new projects around the country. The fund is over and above the tens of billions that the Biden administration has proposed to upgrade regular passenger-rail services.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“30 years — The point at which condominium buildings' owners can no longer delay making critical repairs, engineers say. In Miami, which is less than an hour from Surfside, the site of the deadly Champlain Towers South collapse, two-thirds of condos are more than 30 years old. Many buildings line the beach, where salt corrosion can speed their decline. Thousands face multimillion-dollar repair costs, and there are few ideas for how to pay for them.
39 million — The approximate number of households, representing 88% of U.S. children, that are set to begin receiving checks as part of the expanded child-tax credit starting today. Families with children under age 6 will get $3,600 per child, and families with kids between ages 6 and 17 will receive $3,000 per child, paid over 12 months. The credit will cost the government $100 billion this year.
$652 million — The profit posted by Delta in the second quarter, marking the airline’s first quarterly profit since the onset of the pandemic last year. While the company said U.S. vacation air travel has now fully recovered, the profit posted this quarter was 54% below the $1.4 billion in profit generated in the second quarter of 2019.” Read more at Wall Street Journal
“Johnson & Johnson is recalling five sunscreen products – including by Neutrogena and Aveeno – after low levels of a chemical that can cause cancer were found in samples.” Read more at USA Today
“An Idaho man photographed hanging from the Senate balcony and sitting in the presiding officer’s chair in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot pleaded guilty Wednesday to felony obstruction of Congress, admitting to joining a group who came to Washington armed with firearms, knives and body armor to support President Donald Trump.
Josiah B. Colt, 34, became the latest defendant to agree to cooperate in the breach investigation, seeking to pare down a possible recommended five-year prison sentence.” Read more at Washington Post
“If a former resident of Saudi Arabia were to visit today, they may think they’re in a different country.
Gone are the partitions that separated women and men in restaurants and lines at fast food chains. Music, once banned in public, can be heard on the streets, blaring from eateries and parties. Mosque loudspeakers can now only broadcast the call to prayer and not the full service, except on Fridays and Eid.
This all comes as the kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, chips away at the power of the religious establishment that had long controlled every aspect of social and legal life in the birthplace of Islam.
The ascetic Wahhabi doctrine that had underpinned his family’s rule, as well as hardline edicts, runs counter to the crown prince’s five-year-old plan to diversify the economy and open up the country for tourists and investments. The prince is introducing the changes slowly and without a stated plan, in contrast to his vision for the economy which comes with public goals and deadlines.
In the quest to tighten his grip on power, Prince Mohammed has muzzled critical voices, and the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi on his watch drew international condemnation.
The shift from theocracy to autocracy is dividing Saudis. Some wonder if they’re still living in a Muslim state, while others welcome what they see as much-needed changes to open up the country.
The strategy carries risks for the prince if his reforms are seen to challenge Saudi Arabia’s special status in the Muslim world as the custodian of Islam’s two holiest sites, at a time when regional rival, Iran, has just elected a hardline president.
The question now, in a tightly controlled nation, is whether the religious hardliners regain their clout. —Donna Abu-Nasr Read more at Bloomberg
“The U.S. Senate passed a bill yesterday that would ban all goods from China’s Xinjiang region unless importers can prove they weren’t made with forced labor.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro will remain hospitalized in Sao Paulo after being diagnosed with a partial intestinal obstruction, though an emergency surgery has been ruled out for now.” Read more at Bloomberg
“The Amazon emergency. The Amazon rainforest is now a net producer of carbon dioxide according to a new study by Brazilian researchers. Fires, deliberately ignited in order to clear land for cattle farming and agriculture, along with deforestation and years of drought, contributed to the reversal from the Amazon’s previous status as a carbon sink. Researchers from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research found that the tradeoff between carbon capture and emissions is not even close: The forest is now producing 1.5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, while only absorbing 500 million metric tons, a net emission roughly equivalent to Japan’s annual carbon output.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Twitter censorship. In a new transparency report, social media giant Twitter noted an increase in the number of government demands to remove content posted by journalists and news outlets in 2020. Governments made 361 legal demands of Twitter to remove content in the second half of 2020, a 26 percent increase from the first six months of that year. The Indian government made the most requests to remove content, followed by Turkey, Pakistan, and Russia. Twitter said it removed five tweets from journalists and news outlets based on the legal demands.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“Peru’s election. Socialist candidate Pedro Castillo is set to be officially confirmed as Peru’s new president, more than five weeks after the country chose between him and conservative Keiko Fujimori. Fujimori’s claims of fraud have now been reviewed and rejected by an electoral panel, paving the way for Castillo’s inauguration. Fujimori’s party could still delay proceedings if it comes through on a plan to challenge roughly 5,400 more votes, although Castillo’s 44,000 vote lead means any findings in Fujimori’s favor wouldn’t change the ultimate result.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“The Dutch village of Maartensdijk, near Utrecht, on Wednesday unveiled what it claimed to be the world’s longest solar cycling path—a 360-yard stretch featuring fortified solar panels to generate electricity. The pilot project is part of a number of solar bike paths around the country, as the Netherlands plans for a zero carbon future. ‘We have a very full province with not much room, and for that reason you have to try dual use. So if you can use roads to generate energy, you have a double advantage,’ Arne Schaddelee, a provincial official, told the Associated Press.” Read more at Foreign Policy
“European governments are growing frustrated with the Biden administration for refusing to lift rules that prevent most of their citizens from traveling to the U.S., despite increasing rates of vaccinations.” Read more at Bloomberg
“India’s Supreme Court today agreed to examine whether the nation’s colonial-era sedition law falls foul of world’s largest democracy’s constitution.” Read more at Bloomberg
“Lives Lived: Bernette Ford, an author and editor, pushed to make children’s books more diverse. She died at 70.” Read more at New York Times
“The Smithsonian says a $200 million donation from Jeff Bezos is the institution's largest since the founding gift from James Smithson in 1846.
$70 million will go to renovating the National Air and Space Museum.
$130 million will launch a new education center there.” Read more at Axios
Giannis Antetokounmpo blocks a shot by the Suns' Deandre Ayton during Game 4 of the NBA Finals.Jeff Hanisch, USA TODAY Sports
“With the Milwaukee Bucks holding on to a two-point lead late in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker tossed an alley-oop pass to Deandre Ayton. Giannis Antetokounmpo rose to the occasion to block Ayton's shot and preserve the Bucks' lead. Milwaukee went on to secure a 109-103 win and tie the series 2-2.” Read more at USA Today
“The 149th British Open began Thursday morning at Royal St. George's Golf Club in Sandwich, southern England, the sixth and final major of the 2020-21 PGA Tour season. The tournament returns a year after it was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. There will be 30,000 fans roaming the Sandwich links daily, the biggest golf crowd at a major since the pandemic. There's one major difference: Players are being kept in a strict bubble to comply with COVID-19 restrictions and are at risk of disqualification for breaching rules.” Read more at USA Today
“NFL cornerback Richard Sherman, who was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of ‘Burglary Domestic Violence’ as well as charges of resisting arrest and malicious mischief in the state of Washington, is expected to make his first court appearance Thursday, according to multiple reports. A judge will determine if there is probable cause to believe that Sherman committed a crime. The judge could set bail or order that Sherman be released. The Redmond Police Department said officers responded to a report Wednesday of an in-progress burglary and found Sherman ‘attempting to force entry into a family member's home.’ In a 911 call, obtained by Seattle radio station KIRO, Sherman's wife Ashley Moss said the star NFL player had been drinking and was threatening to harm himself.” Read more at USA Today
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