Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, Business, and Debt:
For LEO Power Up Day, I powered up 679.661 LEO.
South Korea issues arrest warrant for Do Kwon, Luna drop nearly 50%
Patagonia Founder Gives Away His Company
A half century after founding the outdoor apparel maker Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, the eccentric rock climber who became a reluctant billionaire with his unconventional spin on capitalism, has given the company away.
Rather than selling the company or taking it public, Mr. Chouinard, his wife and two adult children have transferred their ownership of Patagonia, valued at about $3 billion, to a specially designed set of trusts and nonprofit organizations. They were created to preserve the company’s independence and ensure that all of its profits — some $100 million a year — are used to combat climate change and protect undeveloped land around the globe.
Woman uses toy gun to ‘withdraw’ $13K in trapped savings from Beirut bank
Coronavirus News, Analysis, and Opinion:
China’s Bogus Attack on a Top U.S. Coronavirus Lab
Politics:
Trump’s Lawyers Reveal That Garland’s DOJ Has Backed Them Into a Legal Corner
Durham Inquiry Appears to Wind Down
When John Durham was assigned by the Justice Department in 2019 to examine the origins of the investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, President Donald Trump and his supporters expressed a belief that the inquiry would prove that a ‘deep state’ conspiracy including top Obama-era officials had worked to sabotage him.
Now Mr. Durham appears to be winding down his three-year inquiry without anything close to the results Mr. Trump was seeking. The grand jury that Mr. Durham has recently used to hear evidence has expired, and while he could convene another, there are currently no plans to do so.
Trump Was Not a ‘Black Swan Event’
FBI Seized Mike Lindell’s Phone
Mr. Lindell said that he had been in a drive-through line at a Hardee’s fast food restaurant in Mankato, Minn., on Tuesday afternoon, while returning with a friend from a duck-hunting trip in Iowa, when his vehicle was surrounded by several cars driven by federal agents. The agents presented him with a search and seizure warrant and interviewed him for about 15 minutes.
The GOP Isn’t Learning the Right Lessons
Republicans won’t blame a disappointing showing in November on either Trump for helping nominate weak candidates or the Supreme Court’s decision on abortion. Instead, they will blame Mitch McConnell for cooperating too much with Senate Democrats…
But the scarier possibility is that many Republicans will learn nothing from defeat because they will simply assume that they were cheated.
Did Lindsey Graham Just Score an Own Goal on Abortion?
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, most Republicans stuck to a simple message: The decision merely sent the issue back to the states; it was not a prelude to any national ban on abortion.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) tossed all that out the window Tuesday, dropping a bill that would implement a nationwide ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy while allowing states to pass more restrictive laws. The immediate effect was to put fellow Republicans, who had already been on their heels over Roe’s reversal, straight onto their butts.
Said one Democrat: “Graham’s stunt is a godsend and helps us remind voters Republicans want to ban abortion everywhere.”
Pence Doubles-Down on National Abortion Ban
Texas Delays Release Of Pregnancy-Related Death Count Until Next Summer
Ukrainian ballet dancer Oleksandr Shapoval is killed on the battlefield
Armed Pennsylvania man in wig trying to ‘restore Trump as President’ arrested at Dairy Queen
Trump Cited Secret Service ‘Concerns’ Before Deposition
In confidential court documents, former President Donald Trump tried to squirm his way out of taking a trip to the New York Attorney General’s office last month, telling a judge that the Secret Service had security concerns about the AG’s office.
Reached on Tuesday, the Secret Service was caught by surprise by the allegations and had not been made aware of any perceived security threat—or court filings detailing them.
Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Prevent Future Coup
A pair of centrist House lawmakers on Wednesday is rolling out a bill aimed at preventing stolen elections in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack, mirroring bipartisan legislation in the Senate.
Moderate Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Fred Upton (R-MI) are co-sponsoring the House legislation, known as the Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act, which would overhaul the antiquated 1887 Electoral Count Act.
Jeffrey Clark Confirms He’s Under Criminal Investigation
Mitch McConnell’s Refusal to Seat Merrick Garland on the Supreme Court Is Coming Back to Haunt Him
It’s a beguiling fantasy: Mitch McConnell lies bolt awake at 3 o’clock in the morning staring disconsolately at the ceiling. If you listen closely, you can hear him mutter, ‘Merrick Garland. Damn Merrick Garland. I should have confirmed Merrick Garland.’
It’s hard to imagine McConnell has much self-awareness beneath his carapace of complete cynicism. The Senate minority leader obviously blames Donald Trump for the loss of two Georgia Senate seats and a majority in January 2021. But in the deep dark night of the soul, McConnell should point to his own folly as the GOP’s chances of retaking the Senate in 2022 dwindle to 29 percent, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Serendipity:
This map can tell you when U.S. fall foliage is peaking in 2022
US is becoming a ‘developing country’ on global rankings that measure democracy, inequality
