228 days remain until the November elections
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Today’s comic by Ruben Bolling is Trump's attacks on Mueller, explained:
• Oil companies bid on just 1 percent of land up for leasing in Gulf of Mexico: The bidding on 77 million acres only netted the federal government $125 million, a modest take according to independent analysts, but one the Trump regime labeled a success since there were 150 bids, including many from major players like Shell, Chevron, and BP, whose disastrous blow-out in 2010 poured nearly 5 million barrels of oil into the gulf waters, heavily polluting them and wreaking havoc on the local economy for years.
• Meanwhile, after three years holding steady, energy-related CO2 emissions rise 1.4%. Global emissions reached a historic high of 32.5 gigatonnes in 2017, according to the International Energy Agency. However, even though most of the world’s major economies saw a rise in emissions, others saw declines. Among them was the United States, United Kingdom, Mexico, and Japan. The United States experienced the biggest decline, a product primarily of its deployment of renewables:
Fossil fuels met over 70% of the growth in energy demand around the world. Natural gas demand increased the most, reaching a record share of 22% in total energy demand. Renewables also grew strongly, making up around a quarter of global energy demand growth, while nuclear use accounted for the remainder of the growth. The overall share of fossil fuels in global energy demand in 2017 remained at 81%, a level that has remained stable for more than three decades despite strong growth in renewables.
• Great Pacific garbage patch far larger than was thought: The patch of detritus is more than twice the size of France and is up to 16 times larger than previously estimated.
MIDDAY TWEET
• Tennessee legislature votes to require schools to display “In God We Trust”:
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Susan Lynn (R), explained why she thought it was important. “Our national motto is on our money. It’s on our license plates. It’s part of our national anthem,” Lynn told The Tennessean, referring to the seldom-sung fourth verse. “Our national motto and founding documents are the cornerstone of freedom and we should teach our children about these things.”
But “In God We Trust” has only been the national motto since 1956. Congress changed it during the Cold War specifically as a rejection of the Soviet Union’s state atheism. It replaced the original motto, “E pluribus unum” (Out of Many One).
• Puerto Rico has been without full power for 184 days.
• YouTube nixes certain kinds of gun videos:
YouTube will ban videos that promote or link to websites selling firearms and accessories, including bump stocks, which allow a semi-automatic rifle to fire faster. Additionally, YouTube said it will prohibit videos with instructions on how to assemble firearms. The video site, owned by Alphabet Inc.’s Google, has faced intense criticism for hosting videos about guns, bombs and other deadly weapons
For many gun-rights supporters, YouTube has been a haven. A current search on the site for “how to build a gun” yields 25 million results, though that includes items such as toys. At least one producer of gun videos saw its page suspended on Tuesday. Another channel opted to move its videos to an adult-content site, saying that will offer more freedom than YouTube.
• National Baseball Hall of Fame won’t use “Chief Wahoo” logo anymore:
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will no longer use the "Chief Wahoo" logo in new inductee plaques, after the Cleveland professional team said it was backing away from the stereotypical symbol.
The announcement on Wednesday cited a "shifting societal view of Native American logos in baseball." The policy starts with former Cleveland player Jim Thome, who previously said he didn't want the "Wahoo" logo on his plaque when he is inducted this summer, instead preferring the more generic "Block C" logo.
• Want to know the average cost of living where you live? Check out EPI’s calculator: You only need to plug the name of your county along with the size of your family into the Family Budget Calculator at the Economic Policy Institute to get results.
On today’s Kagro in the Morning show: The greatest thing since sliced ketchup! Greg Dworkin notes the tide may be turning, but real progress on guns still depends on elections. The Mercers: model scam artists. A series of wacky & treasonous coincidences for Kushner & the Saudish!
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