Trump vs. Justice Department

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1. Trump vs. Justice Department

"In blunt testimony, former managers of Trump University portray it as an unscrupulous business that relied on high-pressure sales tactics, employed unqualified instructors, made deceptive claims and exploited vulnerable students willing to pay tens of thousands for Mr. Trump’s insights. 'How would you like to market-proof your financial future,' Mr. Trump asked in one brochure." "Market-proof" is code word in the investment world for guaranteeing profit, which most know is impossible. I've covered Trump's comments about the judge hearing the case in a previous edition of Top of the News, but they are worth reviewing again. "At a rally in San Diego on Friday, Mr. Trump again steered his pirate ship into uncharted waters, firing off personal and racially tinged attacks against a federal judge hearing a case in which Mr. Trump is the defendant." From NYT - Former Trump University Workers Call the School a ‘Lie’ and a ‘Scheme’ in Testimony and Donald Trump and the Judge

+ " He [Trump] has no discernible views on judges except about whether they agree with him, case by case. As illustrated by his attacks on Judge Curiel, Trump’s style is bigoted name-calling, not reasoned critique. That’s his pattern—and not just about judges." From New Yorker - What Donald Trump Thinks Judges Are Good For

+ And here's a not inconsequential problem with the Trump-running-for-president issue: Win or lose the election, he wins. "It is almost impossible to separate Donald Trump the presidential candidate from Donald Trump the businessman and huckster. A presidential candidate is using his position for personal financial gain, at potentially great cost to U.S. foreign policy and international relations." But, there is this..."Indeed, there are reports of a drop-off in bookings at Trump hotels, not to mention the PGA’s Mexico move." From Politico - How Trump Is Using the Presidency to Sell Trump Inc.

*2. Sun, Wind and Isotopes

The U.S. is trying to jumpstart its aging nuclear energy producers. "Support for plans to save nuclear energy has come from a seemingly unlikely group — environmentalists, some who have come to believe that the climate benefits of nuclear energy far outweigh the risks." Additionally, "investments in renewables during the year [2015] were more than double the amount spent on new coal and gas-fired power plants, the Renewables Global Status Report found. Much of this activity is being driven by anticipation of implementation of the Paris agreement on climate change. From NYT - Nuclear Plants, Despite Safety Concerns, Gain Support as Clean Energy Sources; and BBC - Renewable energy surges to record levels around the world

+ "[But] the prospects of climate change and the need to find a clean, cheap and abundant power source is breathing life into nuclear energy. This has led to...hope in molton salt reactor (MSR) technology, a way of disolving uranium pellets into molten salt and transforming them into a liquid that can be safely kept in reactors for decades." From Ozy - These Scientists May Have Found a Way to Stop Nuclear Meltdowns

*3. I've Suffered a Head Injury

"The Peats cannot be sure, but they presume that Stephen’s problems are rooted in concussions. Perhaps, like several of the dead enforcers and roughly 100 former N.F.L. players, one day he will be found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the degenerative brain disease caused by repeated blows to the head." So, much like the NFL, the NHL is about to get into the TBI compensation business. From NYT - After a Life of Punches, Ex-N.H.L. Enforcer Is a Threat to Himself

*4. Mind Your Data Consumption...Even at Home

"AT&T is imposing 'data allowances' on its customers. In the near future, the Internet that you get at home is going to start looking a lot more like the Internet you get on your phone. And that could result in a massive increase in costs for broadband subscribers." From Wired - Sorry, It's Time to Start Counting Gigabytes at Home, Too

*5. Notorious R.B.G.

"Scientists from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History researching female praying mantis genitalia have named a newly discovered species after an unlikely subject: Associate Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The researchers said they named the mantis for the 83-year-old justice for two reasons: Her "commitment to women's rights and gender equality," and her penchant for wearing a jabot — Ginsburg's signature lace collar, which looks much like the insect's neck plate." From Politico - Researchers name new praying mantis species after Ruth Bader Ginsburg

*Bottom of the News

+ "As we enter a world of connected everything, U.S. defense research agency DARPA is trying to stay on top of this IoT thing — ensuring that “off-the-shelf” products cannot be used by criminals or terrorists to attack the country. In order to do this...DARPA launched Improv, a new project calling for hackers to create weapons from everyday products." From ReadWrite - Will the U.S. military enlist Amazon’s Alexa?

+ "A series of bundled pipes, about a foot in total diameter, can transport up to 1,060 gallons of beer an hour between the De Halve Maan Brewery in the center of Bruges, Belgium and its bottling plant." From Wired - Bruges Built an Underground Beer Pipeline to Improve Traffic

+ "Connected and autonomous vehicle technologies offer a wiser solution [to individually owned cars], intended to optimize roadway and resource utilization, potentially saving billions in future infrastructure expansion. Now you know why the auto companies are linking up with the likes of Uber and tech companies like Google are developing driverless cars. From TechCrunch - Transportation technology will be the next Internet protocol

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