IN THE BEGINNING...OF ISIS

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1. IN THE BEGINNING...OF ISIS

This looks to be an interesting series of reads from Foreign Policy on an insiders view of the creation of ISIS. "To this day, Abu Ahmad is a serving member in the organization, with unique insight into the group’s behavior and its history. Over the course of our more than 15 meetings with Abu Ahmad, we questioned him intensively about his knowledge of the jihadi group and his bona fides as one of the 'soldiers of the caliphate.' Over a period of 10 months, we spent more than 100 hours with him. He patiently answered our questions on everything from how he ended up with the Islamic State, how the organization is organized, and the identity of the European foreign fighters within the group." From FP - Present at the Creation

2. MR ROBOT

"If the leak is a genuine sample of NSA code - which, so far, researchers say is the case - then this month's season of information warfare has taken another bizarre turn. A penetration of an NSA tool of this kind would probably require the tools of hackers working on behalf of a nation-state." From FP - 'Shadow Brokers' Claim to be Selling NSA Malware, in What Could Be Historic Hack

3. “This is a big [expletive] deal.”

"One academic paper suggested that the Obamacare vote alone cost the Democrats roughly 25 House seats — the difference between a historic landslide and two more years in the majority. Any reasonable analysis must conclude that the political opportunity costs of Obamacare have been considerable. The other side of the legacy ledger — the human benefits — are only beginning to be measured." From WaPo - The political price of Obamacare

+ From NYT - Editorial: Obamacare Will Survive Aetna’s Retreat

4. UNFRIEND

About the only thing political posts on social media change is the number of people who unfriend you. "A staggering 94% of Republicans, 92% of Democrats, and 85% of independents on Facebook say they have never been swayed by a political post, according to Rantic, a firm that sells social media followers. The firm surveyed 10,000 Facebook users who self-identified as Republicans, Democrats, or independents, Wired reported." From Quartz - Your political Facebook posts aren’t changing how your friends think

5. EVEN THE LOSERS

"These other athletes never reach the podium. They perform against the odds and fail—sometimes dramatically. But driven by of a love of sport and country, they do it anyway, and in the process offer an inspiring reminder that some Olympians are—almost—just like us." From Quartz - Ode to the great heroism of Rio’s dad-bod, last-place Olympians

BOTTOM OF THE NEWS

- Koreans enjoy best mobile internet, and the Dutch spend most time on Wi-Fi, says OpenSignal

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WEDNESDAY ART - elevator

THE EASTERN BLOCK CONNECTION?

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1. THE EASTERN BLOCK CONNECTION?

This is a great conspiracy theory. "Mr. Manafort’s [Donald J. Trump’s campaign chairman] involvement with moneyed interests in Russia and Ukraine had previously come to light. But as American relationships there become a rising issue in the presidential campaign — from Mr. Trump’s favorable statements about Mr. Putin and his annexation of Crimea to the suspected Russian hacking of Democrats’ emails — an examination of Mr. Manafort’s activities offers new details of how he mixed politics and business out of public view and benefited from powerful interests now under scrutiny by the new government in Kiev." From NYT - Secret Ledger in Ukraine Lists Cash for Donald Trump’s Campaign Chief

+ From Gawker - Ivanka Trump Hanging Out in Croatia With Vladimir Putin's Girlfriend

+ "But though he [Putin] is in a position to make an Article 5 violation of NATO — demanding a response of collective defense — I don’t think he will. I think he will constantly probe and test, but I don’t see him trying to provoke a bigger response. His economy can’t handle that. From Ozy - Will Putin Flex His Muscles Again?

+ "Flynn’s sudden political prominence represents a departure from a 33-year military career spent largely in the shadowy realm of military intelligence and Special Operations missions. Former colleagues said they could not recall Flynn ever discussing politics while in uniform or voicing the views he has embraced since his career came to an abrupt end." From WaPo - He was one of the most respected intel officers of his generation. Now he's leading 'Lock her up' chants

2. SISSY!

You know how the conversation goes, "Boy, back when I was a kid, we used to walk to school uphill, in the snow and ice, BOTH ways!. You kids, today, got it easy." Well, maybe it's true... From WaPo - Today’s men are not nearly as strong as their dads were, researchers say

3. WHAT'S IN YOUR WALLET

"But it is clear to economists who study payment patterns that millennials are gravitating toward payment methods that skirt both cash and credit. Why carry cash when you can whip out a debit card for the smallest transaction — a sandwich or a bottle of soda — or use an app like Venmo or an online payment service like PayPal? All of those typically draw funds directly from a bank account." From NYT - How Millennials Became Spooked by Credit Cards

4. AFFORDABLE CARE ACT GROWING PAINS

"The pricing pressure is playing out on multiple fronts. People with expensive medical conditions, knowing that they need reliable coverage, seem willing to pay a little more for plans offered by the large companies. Healthy and young people — who are essential to insurers to offset the costs of care for unhealthy people — are regularly turning to whatever plan is cheapest, including those from little-known insurers or with the smallest networks of hospitals and doctors. Still, most experts say there is no immediate danger that the market will collapse." From NYT - Cost, Not Choice, Is Top Concern of Health Insurance Customers

5. WHEN YOU KNOW YOU'RE THE BEST...ENOUGH SAID

+ "South African sprinter Wayde Van Niekerk ran the fastest 400-meter race in history at the Rio Olympics, breaking a 17-year-old world record and winning his country’s first 2016 gold medal." From Quartz - Wayde Van Niekerk, one of the fastest men on earth, is coached by a great grandmother

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HIGH TIMES

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1. HIGH TIMES

The proportion of marijuana users who smoke daily has rapidly grown, and many of those frequent users are poor and lack a high-school diploma. The profile of marijuana users is much closer to cigarette smokers than alcohol drinkers, and a handful of users consume much of the marijuana used in the U.S. From WaPo - What makes marijuana users different from everyone else

2. KEEPING IT REAL

You just won four gold medals in one of the most dominant performances in Olympic history and this is your concern: "I have to get all my stuff for my dorm,” Ledecky said with a giggly smile. “I’m excited for the next chapter and what the future can hold.” Pretty awesome. See you in 2020. From WaPo - Her goals met, Katie Ledecky speeds toward the next chapter of her life

+ "Practice is helpful in improving performance in a variety of fields, from athletics to chess. But it plays a surprisingly small role in determining whether people become virtuosos." From WaPo - Why all the practice in the world can’t turn you into an Olympian

+ Your money or...your gold medal. From NYT - Ryan Lochte and Three Teammates Robbed at Gunpoint

3. YA FIRED?

"Since the Cleveland convention, top party officials have been quietly making the case to political journalists, donors and GOP operatives that the Republican National Committee has done more to help Trump than it did to support its 2012 nominee Mitt Romney, and that therefore Trump has only himself and his campaign to blame for his precipitous slide in the polls, according to people who have spoken with Republican leadership." From Politico - RNC considers cutting cash to Trump

+ If true, this is pretty telling and damning. "He has repeatedly signaled to his advisers and allies his willingness to change and adapt, but has grown only more volatile and prone to provocation since then, clashing with a Gold Star family, making comments that have been seen as inciting violence and linking his political opponents to terrorism." From NYT - Inside the Failing Mission to Tame Donald Trump’s Tongue

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WINK WINK AND STIR THE POT

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1. WINK WINK AND STIR THE POT

Wow! Pretty sobering read from Tom Friedman. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin got assassinated." From NYT - Trump's Wink Wink to 'Second Amendment People'

+ "Cohen says that this phenomenon is called 'stochastic terrorism': using language and other forms of communication to incite random acts of violence that are 'statistically predictable but individually unpredictable.' It can help us understand just how dangerous Trump’s statements are: Trump puts out the dog whistle knowing that some dog will hear it, even though he doesn't know which dog." From Vox - Trump’s 2nd Amendment comment wasn’t a joke. It was "stochastic terrorism."

2. SWELTERING

"Parts of the United Arab Emirates and Iran experienced a heat index that soared to 140 degrees in July, and Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, recorded an all-time high temperature of nearly 126 degrees." Why is this a problem? "In coming decades, U.N. officials and climate scientists predict that the region’s mushrooming populations will face extreme water scarcity, temperatures almost too hot for human survival and other consequences of global warming." From WaPo - An epic Middle East heat wave could be global warming’s hellish curtain-raiser

+ “Accelerated sea level rise is real, and it’s ongoing, and it’s not something we should doubt based on the altimeter record,” said Fasullo. From WaPo - Seas aren’t just rising, scientists say — it’s worse than that. They’re speeding up.

3. MOBILE ADDICTION

"A recent study of 1,200 students in South Korea found that women are significantly more dependent on their devices." Why? One theory. "Baylor University’s James Roberts, who helped conduct the 2014 study, says the phenomenon has to do with how women use their phones to form social bonds, while men want to be entertained or seek information." From Wired - Why This Population Is Addicted to Smartphones

4. PLEASE PLACE THE ITEM IN THE BAG

"One million shopping trips were audited in detail, amounting to six million items checked. Nearly 850,000 were found not to have been scanned, the report said, making up 4 percent of the total value of the purchases." From NYT - Self-Service Checkouts Can Turn Customers Into Shoplifters, Study Says

5. DRUGS AND MARKET ECONOMICS

"Okay, I'm going to say it: The heroin epidemic was caused by the legalization of marijuana. We wanted legal weed, and we got it. Looking at the American drug market as it existed, Guzmán and his partners saw an opportunity. An increasing number of Americans were addicted to prescription opioids such as Oxycontin. The Sinaloa Cartel decided to undercut the pharmaceutical companies. They increased the production of Mexican heroin by almost 70 percent." From Esquire - El Chapo and the Secret History of the Heroin Crisis

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THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM

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1. THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM

"Might a briefing change his mind? Probably not. After meetings with Henry A. Kissinger and James A. Baker III, prominent Republican secretaries of state, Mr. Trump said he came away with 'a lot of knowledge.' But asked if those meetings had altered his views, Mr. Trump simply replied, 'No.' Yet such openness to conflicting views is critical for a president who must constantly assess a complicated and ever-changing world. Do what it takes to get 270 electoral votes, and you get the real secrets — worldview or carelessness or talkativeness be damned. It’s a wonderful commentary on the sovereignty of the people. And the need to vote wisely." From NYT - What Intelligence Briefings Can Tell Us About Candidates

+ "'He is unable or unwilling to separate truth from falsehood,' the letter states in a particularly pointed criticism of Trump’s personal traits. 'He does not encourage conflicting views. He lacks self-control and acts impetuously. He cannot tolerate personal criticism. He has alarmed our closest allies with his erratic behavior. All of these are dangerous qualities in an individual who aspires to be President and Commander-in-Chief, with command of the U.S. nuclear arsenal.'" From WaPo - Former GOP national security officials: Trump would be ‘most reckless’ American president in history

2. HOW WE LEARN

The way we learn is changing rapidly (but probably not rapidly enough), and it needs to. With new pathways for knowledge transfer, it's an important topic. Here's a couple ideas to ponder.

"The [Feacebook-backed] software gives students a full view of their academic responsibilities for the year in each class and breaks them down into customizable lesson modules they can tackle at their own pace. Rival tech giants like Google and Microsoft have already established big footprints in education." From NYT - Facebook Helps Develop Software That Puts Students in Charge of Their Lesson Plans

+ From The Verge - Facebook 2026

+ From Wired - Inside the Online School That Could Radically Change How Kids Learn Everywhere

3. PROJECTING POWER

Nothing changes the calculus of an international conflict like positioning an aircraft carrier nearby. The U.S. has 10 aircraft carriers. The only other country with a functioning aircraft carrier might surprise you. From NYT - Who’s Got a Carrier to Rival the U.S. Navy’s? (Hint: Not Russia.)

4. BRING OUT YOUR DEAD

Probably a job I would not like to have... "Mr. Smeltz is part of an unusual niche in the labor market: He is among a proliferating group of independent entrepreneurs capitalizing on the need to collect the dead from houses, hospitals, morgues and accident scenes. It is a little-known link in the chain of death-to-final-resting-place that is growing as places like funeral homes and hospices as well as governments cut their budgets and increasingly outsource the transport of the dead." From NYT - Transporting the Dead: A Booming but Lightly Regulated Industry

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WEDNESDAY ART - blue eye

IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, JUST ASK ME

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1. IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, JUST ASK ME

"But more strikingly, King and her colleagues found a huge difference in self-citation patterns between men and women. 'Over the years between 1779-2011, men cite their own papers 56% more than women do,' they found. And in recent decades, men have stepped up their self-citation game relative to women: 'In the last two decades of our data, men self-cite 70 percent more than women.'" Why? "For starters, studies have shown that men generally have a higher opinion of their own abilities than women do." Well, this is a blinding flash of the obvious! From WaPo - New study finds that men are often their own favorite experts on any given subject

+ This is just as bad as financial analysts/advisors actively manipulating the markets or customers for gain. "With their expertise and authority, think tank scholars offer themselves as independent arbiters, playing a vital role in Washington’s political economy. Their imprimatur helps shape government decisions that can be lucrative to corporations. But the examination identified dozens of examples of scholars conducting research at think tanks while corporations were paying them to help shape government policy." From NYT - Think Tank Scholar or Corporate Consultant? It Depends on the Day

+ "'We [The Brookings Institution] are proud of our scholars, their work, and our partnership with our donors,' the post reads. It argued that the New York Times 'cherry picked phrases' and 'fundamentally misrepresents our mission' and how the think tank operates." From Fortune - Prestigious Think Tank Says It’s Not Pandering to Corporate Donors

2. THE HUMAN SIDE OF THE OLYMPICS

"This is a difficult story to report. The person who knows best whether Tusup’s behavior crosses the line, Hosszú, emphatically says that it does not. But abused people often deny that they are being abused, and isolating somebody from her friends and telling her to kill herself are abusive actions. To merely gesture at those things is inadequate." From Deadspin - What Is Everyone Trying To Tell Us About Kantinka Hosszu' And Her Hot-Tempered Coah-Husband?

+ "While most nations around the world are preparing for the 2016 Olympic Games by pumping up their star athletes poised to win medals, India is celebrating something else: Its mere presence at the games. For anyone who’s ever received a participation trophy in youth sports, the situation may arouse pity." From Ozy - With 1.4 Billion People, Shouldn't India Suck Less at Sports? and From Quartz - The first Indian gymnast to qualify for the Olympics vault final began her training on a discarded scooter

+ From Quartz - This Olympics image shows women athletes playing just as hard in a hijab as in a bikini and Saudi Arabia lets women compete in the Olympics, but bans them from playing sports back home

+ "The Scrap Value: $501" From Fortune - How Much Is An Olympic Medal Actually Worth?

3. THE DIRTY BUSINESS OF INTELLIGENCE

"A murky saga of global nuclear intrigue came to an end this week when the Iranian government returned the body of Shahram Amiri to his family, with bruises from hanging around his neck." From Quartz - After years of silence, Iran executes a scientist who spilled nuclear secrets to the US

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FASTER. HIGHER. STRONGER

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1. FASTER. HIGHER. STRONGER

Every Olympic logo critiqued by Milton Glaser (the guy that designed the 'I NY' logo) . Actually, if nothing else, it's cool to see all the Olympic logos. From EyeOnDesign - On a Scale from 1-100, Milton Glaser Rates Every Single Olympic Logo Design in History

+ "The [Washington] Post is using homegrown software to automatically produce hundreds of real-time news reports about the Olympics. Those items will appear without human intervention on the Post’s website, as well as in outside channels like its Twitter account. The idea is to use artificial intelligence to quickly create simple but useful reports on scores, medal counts and other data-centric news bits — so that the Post’s human journalists can work on more interesting and complex work." From ReCode - The Washington Post will use robots to write stories about the Rio Olympics

+ "But these sunglasses were not designed for most people—a fact made gobstoppingly clear by the $1,200 price. Nike created these for the world’s best athletes, people for whom a pair of sunglasses poses not insignificant tradeoffs. Going without shades causes athletes to squint, causing them to tense their shoulders and expend energy. But wearing sunglasses requires accounting for comfort, weight, and drag. Not a huge deal for most people, but when you’re clocking 5 minute miles or better for 26 miles, it makes a difference." From Wired - Nike Didn’t Design Its Insane $1,200 Sunglasses for Mortals

2. SWIPE OR DIP?

This is why we are switching from swiping to dipping. "Financial institutions changed the rules attached to their terminals last year. Now, if a counterfeit card is used because a merchant doesn’t have the technology to process chip-enabled cards, the merchant is responsible for paying the fraudulent charges." From NYT - Confused by Chip Credit Cards? Get in Line

3. IT'S A JOKE. JUST KIDDING

If you have to say it's a joke, either it's not a joke or you should leave the jokes to the pros.

"Donald Trump said that he was being sarcastic when he appeared to suggest that Russia should use espionage to find Hillary Clinton's deleted emails. But he's finding out that presidents -- and by extension, presidential nominees -- don't get that luxury when the topic is national security." From CNN - Trump walks back email hack comments, but damage lingers

+ “Don’t worry about that baby. I love babies. Don’t worry about it. I love babies. I hear that baby crying, I like it. What a baby. What a beautiful baby. Don’t worry, don’t worry. The mom’s running around like—don’t worry about it, you know. It’s young and beautiful and healthy and that’s what we want. Actually, I was only kidding, you can get the baby out of here." From Politico - Trump at rally: 'Get the baby out of here'

+ "'I [Richard Nixon] welcome this kind of examination, because people have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I am not a crook.' In the meantime, the I.R.S. reversed itself and decided to audit Nixon’s returns for the previous few years. While the audit was underway, Nixon buckled to public pressure in December 1973 and released five years of tax documents. He also asked a congressional committee to review, among other things, his gift of the papers." From NYT - Why We Ask to See Candidates' Tax Returns

4. RULES FOR DEATH FROM ABOVE

"The deputies [at US national agencies] make recommendations to their agency directors or department secretaries, who make up the “principals committee.” If they unanimously agree — and if the target is not an American citizen — the strike can proceed with notice to the president. Otherwise, the president must make the decision. Numerous international law experts have said that the administration’s overall terminology and justification for lethal strikes are novel and without precedent." From WaPo - Newly declassified document sheds light on how president approves drone strikes and From NYT - U.S. Releases Rules for Airstrike Killings of Terror Suspects

5. IT'S THE ECONOMY

"Economic growth in advanced nations has been weaker for longer than it has been in the lifetime of most people on earth. To make matters worse, fewer and fewer people are seeing the spoils of what growth there is." This is crucial to understanding the rise of Donald J. Trump, Britain’s vote to leave the European Union, and the rise of populist movements across Europe. From NYT - We're in a Low-Growth World. How Did We Get Here?

+ "Americans under 20 have had little to no adult experience in a pre-Great Recession economy. Things older generations took for granted — promotions, wages that grow over time, a 40-hour work week, unions, benefits, pensions, mutual loyalty between employers and employees — are increasingly rare. As a consequence, these basic tenets of American work life, won by labor movements in the early half of the twentieth century, are now deemed "radical.'" From Foreign Policy - Why Young American Are Giving Up on Capitalism

BOTTOM OF THE NEWS

- The Health Benefits of Stretching Have Been Massively Oversold

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THE INTEL PICTURE BEGINS TO FOCUS

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1. THE INTEL PICTURE BEGINS TO FOCUS

This is an exhaustive and well written article. "Yet one important region where the Emni [ISIS intelligence group] is not thought to have succeeded in sending trained attackers is North America. Though dozens of Americans have become members of the Islamic State, and some have been recruited into the external operations wing, 'they know it’s hard for them to get Americans into America' once they have traveled to Syria, he [Harry Sarfo] said. 'For America and Canada, it’s much easier for them to get them over the social network, because they say the Americans are dumb — they have open gun policies,' he said. 'They say we can radicalize them easily, and if they have no prior record, they can buy guns, so we don’t need to have no contact man who has to provide guns for them.' From NYT - How a Secretive Branch of ISIS Built a Global Network of Killers

+ A great interview with, Rukmini Callimachi, the author of the above article. From Wired - How One Journalist Uses Social Media to Get Inside the Minds of ISIS

2. THE NUCLEAR "FOOTBALL"

"Fact check: There is no button. There is a briefcase, though. It follows the president everywhere — onto Air Force One, onto the golf course, onto elevators. Inside is a manual for conducting nuclear war. A how-to, really." From WaPo - Nervous about nukes again? Here’s what you need to know about The Button. (There is no button.)

3. MOONWALK

There's a pretty cool video embedded in the article. "For years, the only entities with the power and resources to visit the moon were governments. But that's all about to change: A private spaceflight company announced it will be the first of its kind to conduct an independent moon landing. While on the moon, MoonEx's lander will also try to win a $20 million bounty being offered by Google as part of the Lunar XPRIZE competition. In order to win, a private entity must land on the moon, take off again, land more than 1,500 feet away from its original position, and send high-definition video and images back to earth." From WaPo - This company’s one small step may be a giant leap for private space travel

4. BOW CHICKA BOW WOW...OR NOT
From WaPo - ‘There isn’t really anything magical about it’: Why more millennials are avoiding sex

5. I SCREAM. YOU SCREAM. WE ALL SCREAM FOR...KIMCHI

For the Record, I don't like kimchi. "So why is Korean food taking off in the US now? In addition to being delicious, there are deeper factors at play—namely, a large investment from the Korean government to promote and propagate Korean restaurants abroad. And it’s not alone: countries have developed official 'gastro-diplomacy' programs through which they invest aggressively in marketing their cuisines abroad, training chefs, easing trade restrictions, and using a variety of other tactics in the hopes of becoming the next big food trend." From Quartz- Your newfound love of Korean food is a government conspiracy

BOTTOM OF THE NEWS

- If you have not seen Bad Moms, I highly recommend it
- Glorious photos of world leaders eating badly in public

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WHERE ARE THE POWERFUL GOP WOMEN?

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1. WHERE ARE THE POWERFUL GOP WOMEN?

"In Congress, Republicans can boast only two additional female lawmakers and virtually no other women in high-ranking leadership roles compared with 2004. Just one woman serves among the House’s top four leadership positions, and no Republican woman holds a top-ranking leadership role in the Senate. And the presidential stage is not much better: Carly Fiorina was the lone GOP female White House hopeful this cycle in a group of 16 men. Among the 31 Republican governors, only three are women." From WaPo - Where are all the high-ranking GOP women?

2. BACKGROUND ON CPT HUMAYUN KHAN

"Khan was standing with other troops outside Warhorse that morning when an orange taxi came speeding toward them. Instructing his soldiers to get down, Khan moved toward the vehicle, motioning for it to stop. Before he could reach the car, an improvised bomb went off, killing Khan and two Iraqi civilians in addition to the two suicide bombers. A dozen more people were wounded." “On the day he died, he was doing exactly what a good leader should do,” Mitchell [Khan's commanding officer] said. From WaPo - Capt. Humayun Khan, whose grieving parents have been criticized by Trump, was ‘a soldier’s officer’

+ "“I experienced nothing but love and camaraderie from all the Marines I served with,” said Mr. Rashid, who joined the Marines in 1997. “I was often the first Muslim many of them had ever met, but there was no racism, no bigotry. It doesn’t really matter your faith: We were all Marines first.” From NYT - Muslims in the Military: The Few, the Proud, the Welcome

3. IRAN NUCLEAR

Something to keep a CLOSE eye on. "He [Ayatollah Khamenei] said the agreement, known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, 'once again proved the futility of negotiations with the Americans, their lack of commitment to their promises and the necessity of distrust of U.S. pledges.'" From NYT - Iran's Top Leader Distances Himself from Nuclear Pact, Which He Once Supported

BOTTOM OF THE NEWS

- Feeling Guilty About Not Flossing? Maybe There’s No Need
- Nice Cargo Shorts! You’re Sleeping on the Sofa
- Here Are This Year’s 9 Most Calorie-Filled Chain Restaurant Meals

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WEDNESDAY ART - idiosyncratic

HISTORY KNOWS

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1. HISTORY KNOWS

If you read no further in this newsletter, at least read this article. It is superb. "But at the time people don’t realize they’re embarking on a route that will lead to a destruction period. They think they’re right, they’re cheered on by jeering angry mobs, their critics are mocked. This cycle, the one we saw for example from the Treaty of Versaille, to the rise of Hitler, to the Second World War, appears to be happening again. But as with before, most people cannot see it because: 1. They are only looking at the present, not the past or future; 2. They are only looking immediately around them, not at how events connect globally; and 3. Most people don’t read, think, challenge or hear opposing views. What can we do? Well, looking back, probably not much. The liberal intellectuals are in the minority. The people who see that open societies, being nice to other people, not being racist, not fighting wars, is a better way to live, they generally end up losing these fights. They don’t fight dirty." From Huffington Post - History tells us what may happen next with Brexit & Trump

2. IN DEFENSE OF A GOLD STAR FAMILY

"For anyone to compare their ‘sacrifice’ to a Gold Star family member is insulting, foolish and ignorant. Especially someone who has never served himself and has no children serving. Our country has been at war for a decade and a half, and the truth is most Americans have sacrificed nothing. Most of them are smart and grounded enough to admit it.” From WaPo - Trump stirs outrage after he lashes out at the Muslim parents of a dead U.S. soldier

+ The "sacrifice" of creating jobs (is that a sacrifice?) pales in comparison to giving your life in defense of your country. "He [CPT Kahn] said, 'Mom, these are my soldiers, these are my people. I have to take care of them.' He was killed by a car bomber outside the gates of his base. He died trying to save his soldiers and innocent civilians." From WaPo - Ghazala Khan: Trump criticized my silence. He knows nothing about true sacrifice

+ "'This is my country, too,' he [Khizr Khan] said, adding that Trump 'lacks understanding,' that most Muslims are victims of terrorism, not perpetrators — and they condemn it. 'He lacks awareness of these issues. He doesn’t realize there are patriotic Muslim Americans in this country willing to lay their lives for this country. We are a testament to that.'" From WaPo - Khizr Khan responds to the latest from Trump: ‘Typical of a person without a soul’

+ "Let’s be very clear about what Trump is doing here: as ABC wrote, he’s suggesting 'Khan’s wife didn’t speak because she was forbidden to as a Muslim.' This is bullshit. It is flatly, verifiably, false. But that’s almost beside the point." From Vox - Donald Trump’s slander of Captain Humayun Khan’s family is horrifying, even for Trump

3. IT WILL GET WORSE

From NYT - D.N.C. Hack Raises a Frightening Question: What’s Next?

+ From WaPo - FBI probes suspected breach of another Democratic organization by Russian hackers

+ "But it unfolds, still, if not according to Russia’s design, then according to Russia’s will. Trump is now a national security risk, actively rooting for a foreign adversary to tamper with an American election. And very soon, he will start receiving classified briefings on that adversary. Ehhhhhcellent!" From NYT - The Real Plot Against America

+ Zero Days is a fascinating documentary on the Stuxnet virus and potential impacts of cyber warfare

4. UP IN THE AIR

This is nuts. Watch the video. From AP - Skydiver becomes first person to jump and land without chute

+ This is tragic. From WaPo - No survivors after Texas hot air balloon crashes with 16 on board

5. SUMMER, SUMMER, SUMMERTIME

"I got this feeling inside my bones..." or maybe not. "So here we are. Where’s the tune? Don’t say 'Can’t Stop the Feeling!' Don’t say Sia’s 'Cheap Thrills.' Please don’t say Drake’s 'One Dance.' Yes, those hits have each risen to the peak of Billboard’s singles chart this summer, but none of them have risen to the moment. How could they? The moment is a monster, and I feel like it’s turning our listening inside out. Instead of the radio altering how we experience the summer, the summer is altering how we experience the radio. There is no song of the summer; just a summer littered with songs." From WaPo - There is no song of the summer

BOTTOM OF THE NEWS
- Meet the Designer Behind Cinema’s Most Iconic Movie Titles
- Study Finds Chinese Students Excel in Critical Thinking. Until College
- How many more times can Falluja be "recaptured"?

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