The 1-2 Punch to the Trump Presidency | The Joy Luck Grandparents | A Russian Murder Mystery

“The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t how hard you hit; it’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done. Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth.” – Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa

Can the Trump Presidency Survive: Tuesday was a watershed day for Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. President Trump’s ex-lawyer and problem-fixer, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty in the US District Court in Manhattan to eight counts of bank fraud, tax fraud and violation of campaign finance laws. Cohen admitted he arranged payments to an adult film actress and a former Playboy playmate “at the direction of [then-candidate Trump]” to secure the women’s silence about affairs they said they’d had with Trump. Cohen told the judge that the payments were “for the principal purpose of influencing the [presidential] election” in 2016. Cohen continued to vow undying loyalty to the president even after April’s FBI seizure of voluminous amounts of damaging evidence from his law offices and residences. But over time Trump continued to distance himself from his former friend, and eventually Cohen agreed to confess and plead guilty.

Just minutes after Cohen entered his plea in Manhattan, the jury in the Alexandria, Virginia federal trial of Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, returned guilty verdicts on eight counts of bank fraud, tax fraud and failure to disclose a bank account. Prosecutors built a solid case that when Manafort made money, he hid millions in secret foreign bank accounts to evade taxes; later when the money was gone, he repeatedly falsified financial statements to obtain millions in bank loans. Although this trial did not touch directly on the special counsel’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, or Trump’s possible obstruction of justice, it was the first test of Mueller’s ability to prosecute a case in a federal courtroom amid ever-escalating criticism from the president and his allies that the inquiry is an unjustified, partisan witch hunt.

This 1-2 punch of bad news to the Trump presidency feels like the beginning of the end. And yet, that is constantly what many said during the election cycle. Trump is undoubtedly a survivor but at this point he might be punch drunk and probably distrusts the few ringside supporters still in his corner (who knows who is recording what and the Woodward Trump book has yet to drop). A true knockout punch to the Trump presidency won’t happen unless voters deliver an uppercut in the midterm elections (Nov 6, 2018) and knock out the Republican party from Congress. The next couple months will be a riveting political heavyweight bout with the American people ultimately deciding the fight as ringside judges.

Middle East Side Story: Iran has announced that they are working toward bolstering their military might after unveiling their newest fighter jets amid high tensions with the United States. President Trump has been on the offensive against Iran after they refused to hold peace talks, saying they needed time and proof of the US’ intentions. (Reuters)

Microsoft Flags Russian Hackers: Microsoft claims that Russian hackers have attempted attacks on US conservative think tanks. Known as Strontium, the group had allegedly interfered with the DNC and Clinton campaign during the 2016 presidential election. Kudos to Microsoft for identifying and publicizing these findings. And yet it’s also disappointing that a US Government agency is not leading the charge and identifying this first. Perhaps because it doesn’t have the competency or capabilities or perhaps because it doesn’t have the will. (Guardian)

Tear Down This (Facebook) Wall: A recent surge in anti-refugee culture has arisen in Germany and many believe that Facebook is to blame. Recent reports have shown that towns with higher internet and Facebook activity have had more violent attacks on refugee encampments than cities with less social networking. A hot trend across many countries, Facebook seems to be leaving a lasting impression on people across the globe – an impression sparking violent revolt against innocent bystanders and groups. (NYT)

In “Problem That Shouldn’t Be A Problem” News: Measles have returned in full force across Europe, jumping to levels as high as the 1990s. As vaccination rates have dropped dramatically in the past few years, more and more cases of measles and other such “near-extinct” diseases have begun sprouting up again. (NYT)

Russian Murder Mystery: US Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) wrote to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres last week asking him to launch “a full and impartial investigation” into the July 31 ambush and murder of three Russian journalists in the Central African Republic. The journalists were investigating activities of the Wagner Group, described as “a shadowy Russian mercenary organization linked to President Vladimir Putin’s close circle,” that acts as a front for regular Russian troops to secretly participate in foreign conflicts. The group, of anywhere from 1,350 to 2,000 armed mercenaries, is headed by Dmitri Utkin, a lieutenant colonel of the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency. Utkin, reportedly an admirer of the Third Reich, chose the group’s name “Wagner” from his own self-chosen code name. Richard Wagner was Adolf Hitler’s favorite composer. (WaPo)

Modern Slavery: Inmates of the American prison system have staged a nationwide labor strike, claiming that work conditions parallel those of slaves. Stoves will remain unlit, laundry unwashed, and the grass uncut until inmates have their demands met, though prison owners have remained silent on the issue thus far. The strikes have split the nation, with some scoffing at the concerns of those behind bars, while prison reform activists support the decisions made by inmates to demand more human rights. (Guardian)

Mo Water Mo Problems: Oh, No. Look what climate change is doing to location-location-location. Homeowners are discovering that rising sea levels and worsening flooding is causing coastal property values in Charleston’s sought-after historic district to drop-drop-drop. (WaPo)

The South Will (Probably Not) Rise Again: A crowd of about 250 students, faculty and local residents, opposed to public displays of white supremacy, were flooded with feelings of liberation Monday night after they gathered at the UNC Chapel Hill campus, threw some ropes around a century-old bronze monument dedicated to Confederate soldiers, and pulled it down. We wonder if William Tecumseh Sherman is smiling in his grave? (NPR)

– When my kids grow up perhaps the best way for them to understand their grandparents might be to read (of course that should be the first option) or watch the movie The Joy Luck Club. It’s a classic for Asian-Americans so this article seems head scratching “It’s Time to Forgive The Joy Luck Club: The landmark film beautifully portrayed the Asian American experience. Then Asian Americans turned on it.” (Slate)

– We love reading and we love great movies. The “New [Movie] Canon” takes a stab at the 23 best films of the 2000s. And we find this list pretty spot on with some of our favorites included like: Children of Men, Michael Clayton, Boyhood, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, You Can Count on Me, Minority Report, Dunkirk, Spotlight, and The Fog of War to name just a few. (WaPo)

– Maybe take a break from watching an entire movie if you are at home. “Why Sitting May Be Bad for Your Brain: Taking a walk every 30 minutes can restore blood flow to the brain when you’re sitting for hours.” (NYT)

– “Sorry to Bother You: is this the most shocking anti-capitalist film ever?” The tomatometer is at 94% but our fellow proles have the audience score at 63%. Should we trust the people and not watch the movie or side with the avant garde bourgeoisie? Is this a Hegelian dialectic or the communists dilemma? (Guardian)

– “Just Read the Book Already: Digital culture doesn’t have to make you a shallow reader. But you have to do something about it.” (Slate)

– But if you read the book maybe follow Matt Damon’s advice in Good Will Hunting and not waste “$150,000 on an education you coulda got for $1.50 in late fees at the public library.” “The inescapable weight of my $100,000 student debt: MH Miller left university with a journal full of musings on Virginia Woolf and a vast financial burden. He is one of 44 million US graduates struggling to repay a total of $1.4tn. Were they right to believe their education was ‘priceless’?” (Guardian)

“In life and in a boxing ring, the defeat is not declared when you fall down. It is declared only when you refuse to get up” – Manoj Arora

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