The Denmark Directive, One Word “Plastics”
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Vol. 8, No. 222
Yesterday Trump was in a Twitter snit attacking Denmark because they refused to sell him Greenland. In revenge, Trump went after Denmark for failing to meet its NATO defense spending obligation. “For the record, Denmark is only at 1.35% of GDP for NATO spending,” he said. “They are a wealthy country and should be at 2%. We protect Europe and yet, only 8 of the 28 NATO countries are at the 2% mark.”
A NY Times editorial asks, “Is This Real Life, Or a Peter Sellers Movie?”
Poor Donald. Everyone’s out to get him. “The Fake News LameStream Media is doing everything possible to ‘create’ a U.S. recession, even though the numbers & facts are working totally in the opposite direction,” he tweeted.
Then in practically the same tweetbreath he struck out at the federal Reserve chairman for not lowering interest rates to spur the economy. “The only problem we have is Jay Powell and the Fed. He’s like a golfer who can’t putt, has no touch.”
Under cover of the Denmark and economy dustups, the Trump administration announced it is ending a federal court agreement that limits how long migrant families with children can be held behind fences.
The new policy ends what’s been derided as “catch and release” by immigration hard-liners in the Trump administration. The new policy means that migrant families detained crossing the border can be kept indefinitely until their cases are decided.
Drink This: The World Health Organization says that microplastics, which are now nearly everywhere in the environment and particularly in water, have not been shown to be harmful to humans.
“There is currently no evidence to suggest a human health risk from microplastics associated with biofilms in drinking-water,” the study concludes, referring to microorganisms that attach to microplastics.
Plastics discarded on the ground and in oceans eventually break down to micro-size, entering the water and food chains. But WHO was quick to point out that there still isn’t enough evidence about potential harm the plastics might cause.
The Dwindling Crowd:Washington Gov. Gov. Jay Inslee last night announced his withdrawal from the presidential race. “It’s become clear I’m not going to be carrying the ball — I’m not going to be president, so I’m withdrawing tonight from the race,” Inslee told MSNBC’sRachel Maddow. Inslee’s central issue has been climate change.
The numbers are going to be considerably smaller in the next round of debates. This week Julián Castro hit 2 percent in a national poll becoming the 10th, and perhaps final candidate to qualify.
Former Vice President Joe Biden comfortably leads the Democratic pack although you can’t describe his support as wild enthusiasm. NY Timesreporter Katie Glueck writes from Iowa that, “Less than two weeks before Labor Day, when presidential campaigns traditionally kick into high gear, there are signs of a disconnect between his relatively rosy poll numbers and excitement for his campaign on the ground here, in the state that begins the presidential nominating process.”
Backward in High Heels:“Dancing With the Stars” host Tom Bergeron has publicly disagreed with his producers after they cast former Trump press secretary Sean Spicer as one of the contestants. Spicer trained by dancing around difficult questions.
Bergeron said in a tweet that he had hoped the new season “would be a joyful respite from the political climate.”
The News Roundup:French President Emmanuel Macron firmly told Prime Minister Boris Johnson today that there is not enough time to negotiate a wholly new Brexit divorce deal. Johnson replaced Theresa May on promises that he could produce a deal acceptable to Parliament. — Accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein signed a will just two days before his suicide placing $556 million in assets into a trust, making it difficult for his victims to sue and recover damages. —New video of the Titanic shows that the infamous ship that sank in 1912 is rapidly deteriorating. Bacteria are creating “rusticles,” making it look like the ship is melting.
I Love My Wife:Celebrity interviewer Larry King, who’s 82, is divorcing his seventh wife, Shawn, after 22 years of marriage. They have two grown sons together. By the way, King has actually been marred eight times … twice to the same woman.
You know, it’s hard to imagine anyone marrying Larry King.
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