President Donald Trump and his aides rarely go easy on their perceived enemies. But their attacks on the International Criminal Court -- describing it as, among other things, filled with "lunatics" and pledging to destroy it -- are hyperbolic enough that you have to wonder:
Are they afraid the court will prosecute them?
The U.S. economy grew at an annualized rate of 1.5% in the second quarter.
The Supreme Court deadline to request a reconsideration on President Trump's birthright citizenship order passed on Tuesday without a filing from the Department of Justice. The Trump administration had 25 days to petition the court for a rehearing regarding the president's attempt to strip the U.S. of jus soli, or right of the soil privileges.
After gutting long-time running initiatives to counter China's influence globally, the Trump administration is preparing to ramp up funding by hundreds of millions of dollars to restart some of those programs. read more
For a year now, the AI safety testing firm Andon Labs has given frontier models various real-world tasks to determine how well they do as agents running for long periods with no human supervision. On Wednesday, Andon published a new installment in how things are going in its Vending-Bench research, where the lab has frontier models run a simulated vending machine business for a simulated year.
@#7
From ...
Defenders of the Union: 1905
www.shorpy.com
... Circa 1905. "Memorial Arch, Brooklyn, N.Y." The Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Arch at Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Park. ...
@#4 ... Why might that be? ...
Maybe ... ?
Frank Black - [I Want to Live on an] Abstract Plain (1994)
www.youtube.com
@#5 ... Causes one to wonder ...
For example ...
Meta cash flow craters as Zuckerberg doubles down on AI spending
www.reuters.com
... Meta Platforms reported a 91% drop in second-quarter free cash flow on Wednesday, underscoring the financial strain of the social media giant's costly AI buildout amid an uncertain payoff.
The Facebook and Instagram parent company reported free cash flow of $784 million in the second quarter ended June 30, down from $8.55 billion a year earlier, sending its shares down 10% in extended trading. ...
Trump defends Fauci relationship despite White House efforts to discredit him (2020)
www.nbcnews.com
Trump offers praise for absent Fauci: He's a good man' (2020)
thehill.com
Trump: "I really don't know who gave (Dr. Anthony Fauci) the commendation." (2023)
politifact.com
... Trump said he didn't know who gave Fauci a commendation. Trump's White House website says Trump did.
During an interview with former President Donald Trump, journalist Megyn Kelly pressed the former president about his management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why, the former Fox News host asked during her SiriusXM podcast, did Trump make former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci "a star."
"You actually gave him a presidential commendation before he left office," Kelly said. "Wouldn't you like a do-over on that?"
Rather than answer Kelly's question, Trump claimed ignorance, saying he didn't know who gave Fauci the commendation.
Kelly reminded Trump, "It's a presidential commendation." Therefore, it's the president who hands out the recognition.
"I really don't know who gave him the commendation," Trump replied. "Somebody probably handed him a commendation."
Trump, who has previously touted his "great memory," is right that someone handed Fauci a presidential commendation. It was he who did. ...
China is reported to be sending rocket launchers to Iran.
Russia is reported to be providing satellite imagery to assist Iran in the targeting of US military bases in the area.
Meanwhile Pres Trump's war of choice with Iran seems to be spreading further in the Middle East, possibly pulling in Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea area...
Is Pres Trump's war of choice with Iran slowly turning into a proxy war among world powers?
Then there's this ...
Trump claims Harris guaranteed' to get US into World War III (October 2024)
thehill.com
... Former President Trump claimed that Vice President Harris is "guaranteed" to get the United States into World War III if she is elected president, continuing intense rhetoric common throughout the 2024 campaign. ...
Another view ...
US economic growth slows in second quarter, but domestic demand robust
www.reuters.com
... Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, surged at a 3.2% rate after abruptly slowing to a 0.5% growth pace in the January-March quarter.[emphasis mine]
In addition to larger tax refunds, spending was boosted by higher-income households that are benefiting from strong growth in asset prices, but a recent stock market sell-off could slow the momentum. The recently ended FIFA World Cup tournament also likely added to the strength as did midterm election-related spending by nonprofits.
The AI investment boom, which is showing no signs of slowing despite investor concerns that valuations of many technology companies have become stretched, also helped to boost domestic demand. Business spending on equipment increased at a 15.2% pace, notching a second straight quarter of double-digit growth. ...
@#353 ... OMG.
You're kidding....right? ...
What is there to "kid" about regarding surgeons and others in your operating room wearing masks?
And, no, for the record, I was not kidding.