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Heatwave sparks rise in doorstep welfare checks
Community health workers in Cornwall say they are making more home visits during the heatwave.
Beloved Entertainment Returns to Disneyland Resort in 2027
Fan-favorite Disneyland entertainment returns in 2027, including Remember... Dreams Come True, World of Color, and Magic Happens.
Yellow European mantis in Germany sparks a citizen science push to map new sightings
"They have been around since 2017 but the extreme heat made the population explode."
Oregon DEQ offers help removing Centennial Mills fire debris for residents, businesses
After the Centennial Mills fire left unstable walls, Oregon DEQ is helping clean ash and debris at nearby homes, businesses, roads, parks and playgrounds. Crews will replace wood chips and test for lead.
Hasan Piker event cancellation sparks intervention from top House progressive
Rep. Pramila Jayapal said she is working with the University of Washington after it canceled Hasan Piker's campus event over process concerns.
Hong’s Defeat in Wisconsin Sparks New Disagreements Within Democratic Party
Some Democrats said the outcome showed that the moderate wing of the party carried more electoral weight, while Ms. Hong’s strong showing gave some progressives hope.
Kēōkea Hoʻolauleʻa features daylong entertainment, food and fun, Aug. 29
Musicians Nāmaka Cosma and Sean Parks are among the headliners at the Kēōkea Hoʻolauleʻa, taking place Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026 in Upcountry Maui.
'That's not safe': Road buckles on Chimney Rock, sparks concerns from nearby businesses
Business owners say part of the road on Chimney Rock Road by the Southwest Freeway has apparently buckled, and it's been like that for a few days.
Someone Made a Terrific Deal in the Peacock/YouTube Premium Partnership…But Who?
(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) I hope everyone around the world suffering from record heat waves is doing okay. The temperature is already up in Southern California, but obviously not nearly as bad as parts of Europe. With a super El Nińo coming this year, I worry it will get even worse. Yes, we know what’s causing this heat—it’s the carbon, duh—but we really aren’t making enough progress. I’m not “environmental strategy guy”, but if I were, I’d have some ideas of what I’d try. Honestly, for years I’ve been intrigued by the work of the folks at MEER—whose plan, super simply, is to put up mirrors to reflect heat (while continuing the important work of decarbonization)—but I’m frustrated this idea hasn’t made more progress. (Other geo-engineering groups seem to get better press.) With heat like this—cancelling events, hurting economies and, most importantly, killing people—it seems like the time to push solutions! The “mirrors on the ground” solution has barely been tried.1 While entertainment companies may not “feel the heat”, lots of outdoors/experiential industries—concerts, theme parks and so on—will. Even movie theaters could benefit, since mirrors could help lower AC costs, which I imagine is not an insignificant expense, especially in the hotter areas of the country. So I do think the entertainment industry should prioritize this issue. Anyways, let’s get back into the entertainment strategy. I was about to write, “Hey, this week we don’t have any mergers and entertainment news to dive into,” but that’s not really true, since we had more updates on Paramount-Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery. But the big story of the week involves a streamer and a Big Tech platform bundling their respective streamers. So I’ll write about the updates on Paramount buying Warner Bros., Versant making some moves, and a whole lot more. But we start with a surprising deal: Peacock licensing their content to YouTube Premium. Let’s dive in! Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Peacock’s Pricey Premium Partnership The story of the week is Comcast’s2 NBC-Universal’s Peacock making a deal with Google’s YouTube’s YouTube Premium subscription product to embed their content. And I’ll say this up front: Someone made a terrific deal. The question is who. And I’ll be honest: I don’t know. Let me explain why, including why this deal exists, the pros and cons for each side, the biggest unknown, and what that says about the streaming wars. Customers Love Bundles (But YouTube Has Its Own Issues) We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… Why customers love bundles… But why I’m worried about YouTube’s integration... How Peacock is trading scale for control… And the reason they likely made this deal... The odd budget math for this deal... Whether or not I think the Paramount-Skydance/WBD deal is more likely after the latest settlement... Versant making moves and why that’s good for Hollywood… Another distributor going out of business… ...and a whole lot more! ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support.
Defunding America’s ‘best idea’
Trump administration policies have left many national parks short on staff and money.
Aubrey Plaza welcomes first child with Christopher Abbott
‘Parks and Recreation’ star Aubrey Plaza and ‘Poor Things’ actor Christopher Abbott just welcomed their first child together.
Kawhi Leonard's Latest Announcement Sparks Debate During Investigation
The superstar is the topic of discussion for one of the biggest scandals in NBA history, but that wasn't stopping his offseason plans.
Six Flags Entertainment Q2 Earnings Call Highlights
Six Flags Entertainment (NYSE:FUN) reported higher same-park attendance, revenue and adjusted EBITDA in the second quarter of 2026, as the amusement park operator cited growth in season-pass visitation, improved operating discipline and progress at previously underperforming parks. On a same-park b
Portland warehouse fire sparks health concerns after asbestos discovery
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Days after Portland watched the 116-year-old eight-story warehouse ravaged by fire, concerns grow as dangerous chemicals from the building are being tracked in the air…
Sports teams react to not being allowed to use public fields in Hooper due to drought
Hooper, Utah (ABC4) — Hooper City is not allowing organized sports to use its parks for practice. The mayor says it’s because of the drought. Coaches and players with Ute Conference Football teams …
Disney's strong quarter driven by 'Toy Story 5' and the draw of its US theme parks
Disney’s solid third quarter was driven by a $1 billion box office haul from “Toy Story 5” and the draw of its U.S. theme parks that helped to offset continued weakness from international...
Disney's strong quarter driven by 'Toy Story 5' and the draw of its US theme parks
Disney managed a solid showing in its third quarter, bolstered by movies like “Toy Story 5” and ongoing strength from its U.S. theme parks that made up for continued weakness from international tourism.
Disney's strong quarter driven by 'Toy Story 5' and the draw of its US theme parks
Disney managed a solid showing in its third quarter, bolstered by movies like “Toy Story 5” and ongoing strength from its U.S. theme parks that made up for continued weakness from international tourism.
Disney's 'Toy Story 5' fuels streaming business and merchandise sales for June quarter
Disney said the blockbuster success of "Toy Story 5" extended beyond the box office for the June quarter, as the hit film fueled sales of merchandise, added to engagement on the Disney+ streaming service, and attracted more visitors to its theme parks.
Disney Streaming Q3 2026 Earnings, Parks AI Tool Use
Disney touted the success of "Toy Story 5" when it reported its latest quarterly earnings results for the June 2026 quarter.
Buc-ee’s lawsuit sparks a beaver takeover across Ohio cities
Major gas station chain Buc-ee's is suing Beaver's Mini Mart in Beavercreek. Ohio businesses are adding temporary beaver logos in support.
AI-driven Ring Cycle sparks boos at 150th anniversary Wagner Festival
Artificial intelligence sparked boos at the 150th anniversary performance of Wagner’s Ring Cycle. The audience was frustrated that the software could integrate images but not drama. The staging was subtitled
Sen. Mitch McConnell's absence sparks political showdown
As Sen. Mitch McConnell recovers from a fall and pneumonia, Kentucky officials are clashing over who will fill his seat if a vacancy occurs.
Upper Mount Pleasant residents push for entertainment and parks along Faison Road
'90210' star AnnaLynne McCord sparks backlash with wedding fundraiser
There's no price tag on true love, but AnnaLynne McCord's walk down the aisle is a whole other story.
The top theme parks in California and beyond for 2026
Maybe you love theme parks and are willing to cross state lines just to ride the most thrilling roller coaster. Or maybe you want to know where they are so
As he wrestles with the monumental and the absurd, Trump forgets what voters want
President Donald Trump is trying to shape how he’s remembered through his transformations of Washington’s monuments, official buildings and grassy parks — and the honors boards at his golf clubs.
Low bid count on zoning rewrite sparks debate on city's business climate
Morton City Hall at 909 Davis St. Last month, the city revealed that, despite six weeks of advertising, its request for proposals seeking a consulting
GameThread: Detroit Tigers vs. Athletics, 4:05 p.m.
Detroit Tigers vs. Athletics Time/Place: 4:05 p.m., Sutter Health ParkSB Nation Site: Athletics NationMedia: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network
Healey’s profiteering warning on food and fuel sparks retailer anger
Chancellor says the government wants to prevent shoppers being ‘taken for a ride’ at the pump or till
Kelsey Plum reportedly traded to Mercury as Sparks decide to tear it down
Kelsey Plum is averaging a career-best 23.9 points in 12 games this season
Science Inquiry Comes Alive for Jacket Middle Schoolers
Snails, sidewalks and Double Stuff Oreos... At Partnership Middle School, instructors are finding innovative ways to help students connect the classroom to what they see in the real world every day. By integrating hands-on experiences and scientific investigations into weekly lessons, 6th and 7th grade science teachers push their classes to explore the curriculum standards through the lens of critical thinking, communication with their peers, experimentation, and scientific inquiry. Last week, two different approaches for two different grade levels saw Jacket teachers ignite the same spark for learning. On Tuesday, 6th graders in Lydia Jones' science class took their lessons outside as they explored the school grounds to identify living and non-living things. Despite the warm temperatures, they engaged in discovering unexpected objects on the campus and connecting that to what they learned in class about the criteria for what qualifies a thing as "living". Ms. Jones tasked students with walking the grounds and listing as many living and non-living things they could find in just a few minutes. Students spotted a fire hydrant, construction vehicles, grass, trees, soccer equipment, rocks, sidewalks, and even a snail hidden in the plants. After they finished the exploration, students returned to the regular classroom to discuss their results and whether their objects were classified correctly. On Thursday, 7th graders in Omini Parks' science class participated in their first lab of the semester as they explored and identified the physical properties of a favorite snack -- Oreos. Ms. Parks identified the class objective before the lab activity began by writing the academic standard on the dry erase board in a declarative statement: "I can collect and evaluate qualitative data to describe substances using physical properties." Students watched a video about how Oreo sandwich cookies are made, and then engaged in a question and answer discussion to give observations on the manufacturing process, review various types of physical properties and their scientific terminology, and talk generally about how the lab inquiry would work. The Q&A ended with a predictable question from students... "Will we be able to eat the Oreos?" The hands-on lab exercise required the 7th grade scientists to observe and record the differences between regular Oreos and the Double Stuff variety based on their physical properties. They followed the instructions in their lab brief to chart a comparison between the two types of cookies by observing properties with their magnifying lenses, measuring the height and diameter of both, and weighing the cookies with and without their filling. The activity let students put their lessons about physical properties into practice with real objects while also practicing vocabulary and writing skills to record their observations and using math skills from the last school year like taking measurements and calculating averages. Of course, they ended the lab by charting the taste of the cookies as well! These types of activities allow students to see the science standards they are learning come to life in the real world and engage with the content in new ways. Beyond that, they serve as a foundation for encouraging and growing scientific inquiry. Later in the school year, students will use the scientific method they are learning to complete science projects that require real research and the ability to explain and answer questions about their process and results. At the school-level competitive Science Fair last year, 41 Partnership students earned a place in the 2026 regional Science Fair held at MSU. From there, 14 advanced to the State Science Fair conducted at Northeast Mississippi Community College in April.
Lelantos Holdings Transforms Roswell Cinema into 50,000-Square-Foot Airtopia Family Entertainment Destination
Roswell, New Mexico--(Newsfile Corp. - July 31, 2026) - Lelantos Holdings, Inc. (OTCID: LNTO), through its Airtopia Adventure Parks subsidiary,...
New business sought for Red Arrow Park. It might not be a coffee shop
Milwaukee County Parks has issued a request for proposals for a business to operate year-round in the former cafe location at Red Arrow Park.
“It’s Business”: Kelsey Plum Addresses Trade Rumors Ahead of the WNBA Deadline
Despite already establishing herself as a mainstay, Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum may be on the move ahead of the 2026 WNBA trade deadline. Days before last weekend’s All-Star break, reports swirled that Plum has no intention of re-signing with the Sparks and will leave in free agency during the 2027 offseason.
What is Disney?
Founded in 1923, Disney operates theme parks, film studios, and streaming services across more than 40 countries
Local business in Voorheesville sees extreme flooding
Streets, parks, schools and restaurants across Voorheesville are dealing with extreme flash flooding. One business owner says he never expected to see water rise this fast. Now he’s working …
Miffy Expands into Location-Based Entertainment Across Asia
Mercis and WildBrain CPLG partner to bring Miffy and Friends to theme parks, family entertainment centers and resorts across China, South Korea and beyond.
'Heated Rivalry' Success Sparks Gay Adult Company Publishing House
Gay adult entertainment company Falcon | NakedSword has launched a publishing house with three imprints.
‘Heated Rivalry’ Success Sparks New Publishing House From Gay Adult Entertainment Giant Falcon
Just nine months after “Heated Rivalry” premiered and became a worldwide phenomenon, gay adult entertainment company Falcon | NakedSword is getting into the book business. The San Francisco-based comp...
Baldur's Gate 3 True Third-Person Camera Mod Goes Viral, Sparks Debate About Whether It Erases the Game's Identity
Baldur’s Gate 3 might be three years old, but it’s still the subject of much debate — and many new mods. One mod in particular has gone viral, leading some fans to say developer Larian should keep it in mind for its future games. Others, though, believe using it to play Baldur’s Gate 3 essentially amounts to heresy.
At UCSB, this science education program sparks connection, innovation among kids - Santa Barbara News-Press
For around 15 years, SciTrek has led one-week lessons on topics including physics, biology, conservation of mass, fermentation and cellular respiration
Business briefs, July 27
New CMS voting memo sparks concerns over resident assistance in nursing homes … Initial jobless claims decline 22K week over week, falling to a seasonally adjusted tally of 187K … House Energy and Commerce Committee passes package to streamline Medicare Advantage prior authorization … 1 in 4 US workers sticking with a job strictly for health insurance … Fitch Ratings affirms Greenwood Village South at BBB-; outlook stable
GameThread: Detroit Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals, 1:40 p.m.
Detroit Tigers (50-55) vs. Kansas City Royals (44-62) Time/Place: 1:40 p.m., Comerica ParkSB Nation Site: Royals ReviewMedia: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio NetworkPitching Matchup: LHP Framber Valdez (5-7, 4.57 ERA) vs. RHP Luinder Avila (5-3, 4.86 ERA)
LeBron James' arrival sparks shopping frenzy for Philadelphia 76ers gear at sports stores
Colorado Commission prioritizes feelings over science
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted Thursday and prioritized feelings over science-based management. Meanwhile, Rancher X is the beneficiary of those feelings-driven decisions. Well played, governor. The newest appointees to the CPW Commission are...
Mamdani warning to wealthy New Yorkers about 'fair share' sparks online firestorm: 'Full blown communist'
Zohran Mamdani's viral post celebrating New York City's new pied-à-terre tax on $5M+ second homes drew sharp backlash from conservative critics.
Where Notre Dame’s 2027 class ranks after Brayden Parks commitment
Notre Dame got a commitment from 2027 DT Brayden Parks and is now closing hard on the top 2027 recruiting class in the country.
The Trump Family Sparks a Revolution in Albania
A luxury development planned by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump has spurred anti-corruption protests.
Northern Arapaho Business Council crafts policy governing 'outside organizations' after sermon sparks outrage
Protests, Sunday services continue after Foundations for Nations pastor goes viral with call for tribal members on Wind River Reservation to reject their traditional spiritual ways.
Sophie Cunningham sparks social media meltdown by speaking out to protect women's sports
Sophie Cunningham told ESPN she wants to protect young girls in locker rooms and sports from competing against biological men, sparking debate.
Hegseth turns tables on Dems as sparks fly during hearing clash: 'I put this on you'
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth clashed with Democratic senators over Iran war strategy and military funding amid a record $1.5 trillion budget request.
Why political fury is boiling over on the streets on India’s capital
For days the streets and parks in the center of India’s capital have seethed with the biggest demonstrations it has seen in years as young protesters demand change to a national exam system they say cheats millions of them out of a fair chance.
Fire at Sparks commercial business sends thick smoke over Byars Lane
News4 NBC Reno covers news, sports, weather and traffic for the Reno, Nevada area including Sparks, Carson City, Virginia City, Silver City, Stagecoach, Silver Springs, Sun Valley, Cold Springs, Spanish Springs and Fenley, Nevada and Truckee and Tahoe City, California.
New free summer concert series: Sounds of LA County
LA County Parks is hosting 108 concerts in 27 county parks this summer
Rabid bat found near zoo restaurant sparks urgent public health warning: 'Extremely serious'
A dead wild bat found near a San Diego Zoo Safari Park restaurant tested positive for rabies, marking the 19th such case in the county in 2026, said experts.
Hochul's data center moratorium sparks backlash as business group warns New York is losing investment
Partnership for New York City president and CEO Steve Fulop joins 'Varney & Co.' to warn that Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposed data center moratorium could drive jobs, investment and AI growth out of New York.
The CPW Commission’s act of courage
By Eric Washburn Winston Churchill once said: “Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because, as has been said, it is the quality which guarantees all others.” Until this year, Colorado Parks & Wildlife has allowed hunters to kill as many so-called furbearers, including beavers, foxes and pine martens, as they liked, with […]
Jose Caballero's "routine'' sparks Yankees-Pirates bench clearer
Pirates' reliever Dennis Santana's overreaction to Jose Caballero's habitual, but legal, stall tactics at the plate led to an eighth inning incident.
Comedy of Pirates errors on one play sparks explosive first inning for Yankees
Warren’s latest ‘kiss of death’ endorsement sparks mockery over disastrous political picks
Elizabeth Warren's endorsement of Abdul El Sayed in the Michigan Democratic primary sparks backlash over her track record with failed candidates.
Science can serve dark as well as light
I’m not sure how many of you are watching “Star City,” Apple TV’s spin-off of its “For All Mankind” program (2019-present), but it’s one of the better sci-fi series I’ve seen in a while, with an impressively dark political message. (Some light spoilers below.) For the uninitiated, “For All Mankind” presented a slightly tweaked history of the U.S. space program in which it was the USSR that landed on the Moon first in 1969, and shortly thereafter put a woman cosmonaut on the lunar surface. This sparks an ongoing space race that, in the original series, yields a lot of benefits for humanity. President Nixon’s insistence on a female astronaut corps to compete with the Soviets boosts the feminist movement of the 1970s and the ERA passes. New fuels generated for the space program create clean and cheap energy around Earth. There are also some darker changes — the USSR is thriving well into the 2000s, there are terrorist counter-technology movements around the globe, laborers on Mars work in nightmarish conditions and organize strikes and riots, etc. the @smotus report is a reader-supported publication. To support this work, please become a paid subscriber. Subscribe That show offers glimpses into the subtle ways this Earth is different. Teddy Kennedy never went to Chappaquidick because he was racing back to Washington to deal with the space program crisis; he gets elected President in 1972. John Lennon survives his early 1980s shooting but Pope John Paul II does not. The Apple Newton succeeded. Pretty much the whole of season 4 is a setup for an Al Gore joke. Again, mostly, the vision that “For All Mankind” presents is a positive one, with technology advancing many human interests. “Star City” goes in a very different direction. This spin-off show is about the same set of events but from the Soviet perspective. As we meet them, the team of scientists and cosmonauts responsible for the lunar landing are still basking in their hero status, but their program is embedded deep in the Soviet security state of the late 1960s. Everyone’s apartment is bugged. Whole teams of clerical staff spend their days transcribing recordings of people’s lives. People in the program, including respected cosmonauts, are regularly arrested. An incredibly menacing Colonel Lyudmilla Raskova (Anna Maxwell Martin) forces confessions and tortures and kills, expressing little more than annoyance in the process. Meanwhile, the space program’s highly respected Chief Designer (Rhys Ifans) has a vision for the program that he knows the government will not approve. He insists that they need to think past the Moon to focus on colonizing the solar system, starting with Venus. (This is a rough parallel to the Americans’ pivot to Mars in the original show.) He essentially builds a secret space program within the space program, calculating that the government will embrace the mission after it has succeeded. (As an aside, I’m not sure why the Venus obsession, as a successful mission can’t produce the biggest public relations payoff: a cosmonaut standing on the surface holding the Soviet flag. Anyone standing on Venus would be immediately crushed by the 92-bar atmosphere and then cremated in the 900°F temperatures. But in a country with no free press perhaps the visual payoff was less valued.) But the overall vision is that the technological advances have only amplified the most fearsome aspects of the Soviet system. The state is paranoid (but not incorrect) about American spies and does monstrous things to protect its secrets. People are terrified to trust each other. Classic banality-of-evil figures order people to harm those they care about; those people comply rather than get shot. Others are forced into criminal behavior to protect loved ones. We’re reminded all the time these days of what happens when a government despises science. It manifests in the defunding of schools, the elevation of fossil fuels as the rest of the world pivots to solar, outbreaks of measles and diarrhea, etc. But “Star City” offers a vision of a bad government that likes science. It’s not encouraging. It’s not yet clear if there will be a season two of this show. But I strongly recommend season one. It’s both thoughtful and gripping. Share
Colorado Commission prioritizes feelings over science
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted Thursday and prioritized feelings over science-based management. Meanwhile, Rancher X is the beneficiary of those feelings-driven decisions. Well played, Governor. The newest appointees to the CPW Commission are just the parting gift you had in mind for rural Colorado. The Commission voted Thursday 6-5 to reject CPW staff […]
Colorado Commission prioritizes feelings over science
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted Thursday and prioritized feelings over science-based management. Meanwhile, Rancher X is the beneficiary of those feelings-driven decisions. Well played, Governor. The newest appointees to the CPW Commission are just the parting gift you had in mind for rural Colorado. The Commission voted Thursday 6-5 to reject CPW staff […]
Bueckers scores 25, leaves late in 4th quarter, as Wings beat Sparks 90-82
Bueckers hit a 3-pointer that capped a 14-5 spurt and gave the Wings an eight-point lead with 9:12 left in the game.
Broken streetlights causing frustration for St. Paul business owners
Northeast Wisconsin heads indoors for summer entertainment to avoid wildfire smoke
BROWN COUNTY (WLUK) -- Our smoky skies have turned summer staples like Bay Beach, the pools, and parks into ghost towns.“It's really bad because you can't even
Atlanta leaders hope FIFA World Cup sparks long-term business investment and economic growth
Metro Atlanta's business leaders say the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup is creating new international partnerships they hope will translate into lasting future economic opportunities.
Lamine Yamal's Controversial Penalty Decision Sparks Outrage Among Fans
One controversial VAR call involving Lamine Yamal quickly became the biggest talking point of Spain's semifinal.
Smart people: IBM's AI warning sparks new Saaspocalypse fears
IBM CEO Arvind Krishna wrote a letter to shareholders about a revenue miss. It's renewing months-old fears about a SaaSpocalypse.
Christopher Nolan sparks fresh backlash after calling 'The Odyssey' criticism 'irrelevant'
Critics slammed Nolan's response to "The Odyssey" casting backlash involving Lupita Nyong'o, Elliot Page, and the film's modern language choices.
Suburban business park developer Michael Mooney has died at age 83
Mooney LeSage was known for developing business parks in such communities as Franklin, Germantown, Menomonee Falls, Mequon, Sturtevant, and Sussex.
'Plants get sick!': WashU scientists, U. City students research plants together
Biologist Rachel Penczykowski, in WashU Arts & Sciences, is an expert in infectious disease in plants. She conducts much of her research in the field — rural farmland, urban parks and, on this sunny day, a garden bed at Jackson Park Elementary School in the University City School District.
Government failing Farage over security, says Jenrick
It comes as the police investigation into Ann Widdecombe's death sparks renewed debate over politicians' security.
The Quintessential Trump-era Politician
In 2020, I wrote an article about collaboration and collaborators. The title was History Will Judge the Complicit, and it started with the story of two famous East Germans, Markus Wolf and Wolfgang Leonhard, who both landed in East Berlin just after the end of the war. Although they came from very similar backgrounds, the former stuck with the regime, eventually becoming its spy boss; the latter, horrified by the brutal reality of Soviet-style communism, escaped. By way of juxtaposition, I also wrote about Lyndsey Graham and Mitt Romney. These two men also made very different decisions when confronted by Donald Trump’s assault on the ideals that they had both grown up believing: A glance at their biographies would not have led many to predict what happened next. On paper, Graham would have seemed, in 2016, like the man with deeper ties to the military, to the rule of law, and to an old-fashioned idea of American patriotism and American responsibility in the world. Romney, by contrast, with his shifts between the center and the right, with his multiple careers in business and politics, would have seemed less deeply attached to those same old-fashioned patriotic ideals. Most of us register soldiers as loyal patriots, and management consultants as self-interested. We assume people from small towns in South Carolina are more likely to resist political pressure than people who have lived in many places. Intuitively, we think that loyalty to a particular place implies loyalty to a set of values. But in this case the clichés were wrong. It was Graham who made excuses for Trump’s abuse of power. It was Graham—a JAG Corps lawyer—who downplayed the evidence that the president had attempted to manipulate foreign courts and blackmail a foreign leader into launching a phony investigation into a political rival. It was Graham who abandoned his own stated support for bipartisanship and instead pushed for a hyperpartisan Senate Judiciary Committee investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden’s son. It was Graham who played golf with Trump, who made excuses for him on television, who supported the president even as he slowly destroyed the American alliances—with Europeans, with the Kurds—that Graham had defended all his life. By contrast, it was Romney who, in February, became the only Republican senator to break ranks with his colleagues, voting to impeach the president. “Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office,” he said, is “perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one’s oath of office that I can imagine.” In the wake of Graham’s unexpected death on Saturday, I wrote about him again. He was, in many ways, the quintessential politician of Trump’s Washington, a man who shifted 180 degrees. Graham had been a fervent American patriot, proud reserve officer and military lawyer; he became one of the most important defenders of a president who believes soldiers are “suckers and losers” and shows no respect for law of any kind. As his politics changed, his language grew coarser and his behavior grew worse: He urged Israel to “level the place” in Gaza, and insulted the Danish prime minister in Munich, prompting a colleague, Senator Elissa Slotkin, to issue an apology. Here’s an excerpt from the article, which you can read in The Atlantic (gift link here) Like his close friend John McCain, Graham believed that America should stand at the center of a broad democratic alliance. The few times I met him were in that context, at the Munich Security Conference or at other European-American gatherings, which he once attended with great regularity. He also took seriously the practice of American democracy at home. In a 2014 conversation with The Atlantic, he described himself as a pragmatic politician who eschewed populist slogans. “I know Washington is broken, but what’s broken about it is everybody yelling and nobody trying to fix it,” he said. “I’m trying.” When Donald Trump first appeared in U.S. politics, Graham recognized him immediately for what he was: the spokesman for an alien ideology, one radically different from the idealistic patriotism that Graham had practiced and preached since childhood. Trump privately mocked the military that Graham loved as nothing but “suckers and losers.” He put falsehoods, cynicism, and personal greed at the center of his politics, while expressing disdain for transparency, accountability, and democracy itself. In 2015, Graham described Trump as a “race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot” who should “go to hell.” Also as a “nutjob.” When Trump won, Graham understood, as did so many others, that he would have to make some important choices. For a while, he went silent. In the spring of 2016, I saw him at one of those conferences in Europe. He seemed too depressed to speak. But then, like many other Republicans—and, more important, like many other people who have lived under political occupation or experienced radical regime change—he made the decision to abandon his previous ideals, to bury the patriotism that was once so important to him, and to become, instead, a loud, opportunistic collaborator. As I wrote in 2020, it’s very hard to look in to anyone’s heart and to understand their motivations from the outside. But it does seem that Graham had a deep need to be relevant, to be in the game, to be a player, at any cost. And that, rather than any particular achievement, is what he will be remembered for. Continuing to monitor conflicts of interest, ostentatious emoluments, outright corruption and policy changes that will facilitate outright corruption. (Read my original article, Kleptocracy Inc and check out the SNF Agora Institute chart) June 27 Trump diverted funds from more than 900 projects nationwide—including safety upgrades at national parks—to finance beautification projects around Washington, including $700,000 used to fix a White House walkway. June 28 After a years-long Department of Justice investigation into Abbott Laboratories over its management of a baby formula facility where potentially deadly bacteria turned up enough evidence to criminally charge the firm, top department officials instead opted for a financial penalty—illustrating the department’s move away from strict corporate enforcement under the Trump administration. June 29 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stacked the Defense Policy Board—which is charged with providing independent national security recommendations to the Office of the Secretary of Defense—with Trump allies, including tech billionaire Marc Andreessen, who has invested in defense contractors like OpenAI and SpaceX, after purging the panel last year. Trump purchased between $1 million and $5 million worth of stock in Axon—which makes about 90% of US tasers—two weeks before ICE solicited bids for a $220 million taser contract. The White House unveiled limited-edition US passports for America’s 250th birthday, featuring a portrait of Trump overlaid on the Declaration of Independence. June 30 Trump made around $1.2 billion from his various crypto companies last year, including more than $500 million from World Liberty Financial and $600 million from sales of his meme coin. Trump is considering issuing 250 pardons to commemorate America’s 250th birthday. These are expected to be largely doled out through the Office of the Pardon Attorney’s informal network of intermediaries. White-collar defense attorneys say they can typically win pardons for clients for $2 million. Last year, Trump administration officials awarded a no-bid contract worth up to $500 million to Clark Construction for the White House ballroom—negotiations in which the president was directly involved. July 1 The Amazon MGM Studios documentary about Melania Trump earned the First Lady more than $10 million. Trump made hundreds of individual stock purchases worth as much as $12.8 million the day before his announcement pausing “Liberation Day” tariffs for 90 days sent the S&P 500 soaring nearly 10%—one of the largest single-day gains ever. Mar-a-Lago and Trump National Doral saw record surges in revenue during Trump’s first year in office, earning $77.5 million and $121.9 million respectively, compared to average annual revenues of $25 million and $75 million during Trump’s first term. Entities across the Persian Gulf paid more than $300 million to Trump’s businesses last year, including $263 million from the sale of half his stake in World Liberty Financial to a firm backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a top UAE royal and brother of the country’s president. Kash Patel failed to properly disclose his stock purchase of a Department of Justice contractor, MicroStrategy, worth up to $250,000 last year, despite laws requiring disclosure within 45 days of the trade. July 2 Trump has been directing administration officials to steer more government contracts—so far worth more than $2.4 billion—to Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin aerospace firm, after Amazon gave $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, donated to the White House ballroom project, and reached a $40 million deal to license a Melania Trump documentary. Alongside the billions he made from cryptocurrency last year, Trump earned millions of dollars from real estate licensing fees, including $21 million from organizations in the UAE and $9.2 million in Saudi Arabia, along with smaller sums from merchandise sales, including $4.7 million from Trump Watches and $35,920 from 45 Guitar, a guitar brand endorsed by the president. House Democrats accused consultants tied to the Trump administration of financial fraud, alleging they gave prospective donors to America250—the bipartisan committee created by Congress to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial—the banking and routing numbers for Freedom 250, the White House’s fund for events like the UFC cage fight. Democrats also allege that Freedom 250’s CEO traveled to the World Economic Forum in Davos to solicit donations from foreign government officials and business leaders. The Trump administration’s proposed rollback of gun regulations would lift the prohibition on mailing handguns to individuals, a significant win for GrabAGun—the direct-to-consumer firearm retailer on whose board Donald Trump Jr. sits and in which he holds a 1.1% ownership stake. GrabAGun currently must rely on a middleman to transfer firearms to customers. Trump’s financial disclosure revealed that he made more than 21,000 securities trades during his first year back in office, growing his investment account to at least $858 million across stakes in around 1,600 companies, compared to the 13 total trades Joe Biden made during his entire presidency. July 4 Nearly 1 million people who bought the president’s meme coin—Trump Coin—collectively lost $3.8 billion on the token, while he walked away with $636 million. July 6 Shares of Dell closed up 4.4% after Trump recommended people buy the firm’s computers during a speech announcing the launch of Trump investment accounts for children, boosting the more than $1 million worth of shares the president owns in the company. July 9 Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh named crypto investor and Trump ally Marc Andreessen to a task force aimed at modernizing the Federal Reserve, including rethinking its approach to inflation—a key factor keeping interest rates elevated. Palm Beach International Airport has officially changed its name to Trump International Airport—a move that will require Florida to pay royalties to the president’s family for licensing his name. I was there a few months ago, during a trip to Barcelona. The sculptures were a revelation, I’d never seen so many together before. Each one has its own personality. Enjoy the good weather, if you are lucky enough to have it. History Will Judge the Complicit The Quintessential Politician Autocracy Inc Open Letters, from Anne Applebaum is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
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