PBS News: August 8-10, 2020, Longtime GOP strategist says he’ll ‘work with Democrats’ to defeat Trump, Aug 5, 2020, 75 years after Hiroshima, should U.S. president have authority to launch nuclear attack? Aug 5, 2020, #WashWeekPBS full episode: President Trump defends his administration’s COVID-19 response,
NBC News: Nightly News Full Broadcast (August 10th, 2020)
Roylab Stats: [LIVE] Coronavirus Pandemic: Real Time Counter, World Map, News
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CNN News: Bill Gates: Wouldn’t have predicted US would do so poorly handling pandemic, Aug 9, 2020, Cuomo: Trump violated social media standards, he’s violating us, Aug 5, 2020, Why a map Trump showed at a meeting may tell a different story, Aug 4, 2020, Cooper to Trump: Hope is not a plan for Covid-19, Aug 5, 2020, Keilar debunks Trump campaign: You’ve got to shovel the BS, Aug 5, 2020,
HBO-LastWeekTonight: Voting by Mail: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO), Jun 1, 2020
My Modern Met: Natural Phenomenon Transforms Hummingbird’s Wings into Tiny Rainbows by Sara Barnes on July 11, 2019
On this edition for Sunday, August 9, questions about presidential powers arise after President Trump extends COVID relief via executive orders, the risk of speeding up the census count, the sixth anniversary of Michael Brown’s killing and protests in Ferguson, Missouri, and why national political conventions may fade away forever. Hari Sreenivasan anchors from Sarasota, Florida. Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG Find more from PBS NewsHour at https://www.pbs.org/newshour Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6
On this edition for Saturday, August 8, President Trump signs four executive actions to extend COVID-19 economic relief and defer payroll taxes, protests in Beirut over the government’s response to the deadly explosion turn violent, and why Russia looms large in Belarus’ election on Sunday. Hari Sreenivasan anchors from Sarasota, Florida. Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG Find more from PBS NewsHour at https://www.pbs.org/newshour Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6
Longtime GOP strategist says he’ll ‘work with Democrats’ to defeat Trump
Stuart Stevens is one of the Republican Party’s most successful campaign strategists, with a career spanning decades. In his revealing new book, “It Was All a Lie: How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump,” Stevens admits the GOP uses race as an issue to divide Americans and win elections — and says the party has abandoned its principles in the Trump era. He joins Judy Woodruff to discuss. Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG Find more from PBS NewsHour at https://www.pbs.org/newshour Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6
75 years after Hiroshima, should U.S. president have authority to launch nuclear attack?
On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped the first atomic weapon on Hiroshima, Japan. Seventy-five years later, the NewsHour revisits how the president became the sole authority on when nuclear weapons are used. Nick Schifrin reports and talks to former Secretary of Defense William Perry, co-author of “The Button: The New Nuclear Arms Race and Presidential Power from Truman to Trump.” Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG Find more from PBS NewsHour at https://www.pbs.org/newshour Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6
#WashWeekPBS full episode: President Trump defends his administration’s COVID-19 response
President Trump has been eager to project optimism about the COVID-19 pandemic but has faced scrutiny from reporters. In an interview aired this week with Jonathan Swan of Axios, the president responded to rises in death rates by saying “it is what it is,” while insisting the White House is doing everything it can to combat the virus. Meanwhile, in Congress, Democrats and the White House could not agree to a new round of stimulus or an expansion of the $600 supplement to unemployed Americans that expired last week. The panel discussed the president’s response to the coronavirus crisis, the fate of a deal in Congress and the potential candidates to serve as Joe Biden’s vice-presidential pick. Panel: Lisa Desjardins of the PBS NewsHour, Robert Draper of The New York Times Magazine and National Geographic, Abby Phillip of CNN, Jonathan Swan of Axios
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[LIVE] Coronavirus Pandemic: Real Time Counter, World Map, News
Coronavirus Live Streaming: Breaking news, world Map and live counter on confirmed cases and recovered cases. I started this live stream on Jan 26th, and since Jan 30th I have been streaming this without stopping. Many people are worried about the spread of coronavirus. For anyone that wants to know the real-time progression of the worldwide spread of this virus, I offer this live stream. The purpose is not to instill fear or panic, nor is it to necessarily comfort; I just want to present the data to help inform the public of the current situation. The purpose of this stream is to show basic information and data to understand the situation easily. For detail information, please visit our reference sites.
@Al Jazeera English, we focus on people and events that affect people’s lives. We bring topics to light that often go under-reported, listening to all sides of the story and giving a ‘voice to the voiceless’. Reaching more than 270 million households in over 140 countries across the globe, our viewers trust Al Jazeera English to keep them informed, inspired, and entertained. Our impartial, fact-based reporting wins worldwide praise and respect. It is our unique brand of journalism that the world has come to rely on. We are reshaping global media and constantly working to strengthen our reputation as one of the world’s most respected news and current affairs channels. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/#AlJazeeraEnglish#BreakingNews#AlJazeeraLive
DW News goes deep beneath the surface, providing the key stories from Europe and around the world. Exciting reports and interviews from the worlds of politics, business, sports, culture and social media are presented by our DW anchors in 15-, 30- and 60-minute shows. Correspondents on the ground and experts in the studio deliver detailed insights and analysis of issues that affect our viewers around the world. We combine our expertise on Germany and Europe with a special interest in Africa and Asia while keeping track of stories from the rest of the world. Informative, entertaining and up-to-date – DW News, connecting the dots for our viewers across the globe. Deutsche Welle is Germany’s international broadcaster. We convey a comprehensive image of Germany, report events and developments, incorporate German and other perspectives in a journalistically independent manner. By doing so we promote understanding between cultures and peoples. #dwNews#LiveNews#NewsToday
CNN’s Chris Cuomo fact-checks President Donald Trump’s claims that the coronavirus pandemic will “go away,” calling the president’s messaging “pathetic.” #CNN#News
Why a map Trump showed at a meeting may tell a different story
CNN’s Harry Enten tells Chris Cuomo why some states with Covid-19 hotspots are now looking to be key battleground states in the 2020 presidential election. #CNN#News
CNN’s Brianna Keilar fact checks Trump 2020 campaign official Mercedes Schlapp’s claim that a Nevada law allows people to send in their votes after the polls close. #Keilar#CNN#News
Voting by Mail: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
With the 2020 presidential election nearing and a pandemic in full swing, John Oliver discusses why voting by mail is necessary, the fearmongering surrounding it, and why we need to start planning for November right now. Connect with Last Week Tonight online… Subscribe to the Last Week Tonight YouTube channel for more almost news as it almost happens: www.youtube.com/lastweektonight Find Last Week Tonight on Facebook like your mom would: www.facebook.com/lastweektonight Follow us on Twitter for news about jokes and jokes about news: www.twitter.com/lastweektonight Visit our official site for all that other stuff at once: www.hbo.com/lastweektonight
Artist and photographer Christian Spencer was standing on his verandah in Rio de Janeiro when he made an amazing discovery. When the black Jacobin hummingbird flew with the sun striking its open wings, a beautiful prism effect appeared. At that moment, it was as if its body was made of rainbows.
In 2011, Spencer recorded the bird’s movements for a film called The Dance of Time. The movie went on to receive 10 international awards as well as three best film honors. But, that wasn’t the end of the rainbow hummingbirds. Several years later, Spencer returned to the subject. “I decided to try and photograph the same phenomenon with my camera,” he shares with My Modern Met. The resulting series is called Winged Prism, and for Spencer, the images reveal “a secret of nature that cannot be seen with our eyes.”
Although Winged Prism seems too magical to be true, Spencer says that there wasn’t any digital manipulation involved. “There is no special technique,” he explains, “just diffraction of light through the wings of this special hummingbird.” The awe-inspiring beauty it produces is what makes these images so special. “Nobody ever could have ever dreamed that this was a reality,” he says. “I receive emails every day from people across the world touched by these images.”
One image from Winged Prism is now available as a limited edition print from Spencer’s website.
Artist and photographer Christian Spencer captured the awe-inspiring sight of the sun shining on a black Jacobin hummingbird’s wings.
The result is a prism effect and makes it look as though the creature’s body is made of rainbows.
Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met and Manager of My Modern Met Store. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled ‘Embroidered Life’ that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
NBC News: Nightly News Full Broadcast (August 8th, 5th, 2020)
ABC News Prime: Isaias slams Northeast; Multiple dead in Beirut explosion; US COVID-19 cases surge, Aug 4th, 2020
Roylab Stats: [LIVE] Coronavirus Pandemic: Real Time Counter, World Map, News
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AXIOS on HBO: President Trump Exclusive Interview (Full Episode)
Can Donald Trump retain the presidency? – BBC Newsnight, Jul 28, 2020
Trump’s Tax Nightmare Comes True as NY D.A. Probes Fraud, Demands Taxes | MSNBC,
Why a map Trump showed at a meeting may tell a different story, Aug 4, 2020 CNN,
Acosta to Trump: Why does virus task force keep contradicting you? Aug 3, 2020 CNN,
CNN’s Harry Enten tells Chris Cuomo why some states with Covid-19 hotspots are now looking to be key battleground states in the 2020 presidential election. #CNN#News,
Burnett: Trump calls Dr. Birx pathetic after she tells the truth, Aug 3, 2020 CNN
Jared Kushner’s Failed Testing Plan; Trump Threatens to Ban TikTok: A Closer Look, Aug 3, 2020 Late Night with Seth Meyers
Washington Post: The CFPB once defended consumers. Thanks to Trump, it now helps companies prey on them instead. By Kathleen Kraninger
BoredPanda: See How The “10 Billion Tree Tsunami” Tree Planting Campaign Transformed This Area Between 2019 And 2020
Billion Trees Tsunami Project: After and Before Plantation sites under BTAP, Nov 21, 2017, and Massive Plantation Drive in KP, Dec 6, 2018
Friday on the NewsHour, the White House and congressional Democrats are at a stalemate over a new coronavirus relief bill. Plus: U.S. intelligence warns of foreign election interference, Americans cope with the pandemic’s financial fallout, Ohio Gov. DeWine on COVID-19 in his state, a contentious election in Belarus, reporting on Hiroshima, Mark Shields and David Brooks and victims of COVID-19. Support your local PBS station here: https://pbs.org/donate Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG Find more from PBS NewsHour at https://www.pbs.org/newshour Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6
Thursday on the NewsHour, congressional Democrats and Republicans appear to be at an impasse over a new coronavirus relief package. Plus: White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow on where talks stand, teachers and local officials struggle with how to open schools, survivors of Hiroshima, business owners with criminal records can’t get federal loans and an essay on systemic racism and the police. Editor’s Note: In our segment about teachers and school administrators, the original video has been modified to remove two photographs that included students. Support your local PBS station here: https://pbs.org/donate WATCH TODAY’S SEGMENTS News Wrap: New York sues NRA over alleged misuse of funds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEi8k… Port employees detained in Beirut blast investigation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=281oJ… Congress stuck in ‘staring contest’ over pandemic aid deal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GAeO… Kudlow: Trump might repurpose money to fund unemployment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mh0a… Teachers and administrators scramble to adapt school plans www.youtube.com/watch?v=A–Dt6yHN8I Top Mississippi health official recommends virtual school https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATKbK… Japan’s youth rush to document memories of Hiroshima horror https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd11_… Business owners with criminal records haunted by their past https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNuSF… An essay on power and the police https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku4I4… Stream your PBS favorites with the PBS app: https://to.pbs.org/2Jb8twG Find more from PBS NewsHour at https://www.pbs.org/newshour Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2HfsCD6
President Trump signs executive orders for coronavirus economic relief, massive Sturgis motorcycle rally taking place amid coronavirus concerns, and speculation swirls over Joe Biden’s vice presidential pick.
Chicago Public Schools to be remote this fall, U.S. citizen among the dead in Beirut explosion, and Tropical Storm Isaias leaves millions without power. Watch “NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt” at 6:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. CT (or check your local listings). 00:00 Intro 01:27 Chicago To Begin School Year With Online-Only Learning 02:59 Florida Tops 500,000 Coronavirus Cases 03:15 Georgia Second- Grader Tests Positive, Class Quarantined 03:29 Trump Pushes School To Reopen, Says Virus ‘Going Away’ 03:46 New York City Considers Some In-Person Teaching For Fall 04:54 Desperate Search For Survivors After Beirut Explosion 07:38 Biden Will Not Travel To DNC To Accept Nomination 07:54 Trump: ‘I’ll Probably’ Give RNC Speech From White House 08:26 Trump Campaign Sues To Stop Nevada Mail-In Voting Law 09:02 Trump Praises Mail-In Voting In Florida And Arizona 09:20 Post Master General Meets Coronavirus Relief Negotiators 09:45 Facebook Removes Trump Post For ‘Covid Misinformatoin’ 10:02 New York City Imposes Quarantine Checkpoints 10:29 Millions Without Power After Tropical Storm Strikes 12:27 Grocery Prices Surge As American Families Struggle 14:31 Health Officials Leave Jobs Under Pressure And Threats 16:58 Robots Give High-Tech Help To Essential Workers » Subscribe to NBC News: http://nbcnews.to/SubscribeToNBC » Watch more NBC video: http://bit.ly/MoreNBCNews
ABC News Prime: Isaias slams Northeast; Multiple dead in Beirut explosion; US COVID-19 cases surge
Coronavirus Live Streaming: Breaking news, world Map and live counter on confirmed cases and recovered cases. I started this live stream on Jan 26th, and since Jan 30th I have been streaming this without stopping. Many people are worried about the spread of coronavirus. For anyone that wants to know the real-time progression of the worldwide spread of this virus, I offer this live stream. The purpose is not to instill fear or panic, nor is it to necessarily comfort; I just want to present the data to help inform the public of the current situation. The purpose of this stream is to show basic information and data to understand the situation easily. For detail information, please visit our reference sites.
@Al Jazeera English, we focus on people and events that affect people’s lives. We bring topics to light that often go under-reported, listening to all sides of the story and giving a ‘voice to the voiceless’. Reaching more than 270 million households in over 140 countries across the globe, our viewers trust Al Jazeera English to keep them informed, inspired, and entertained. Our impartial, fact-based reporting wins worldwide praise and respect. It is our unique brand of journalism that the world has come to rely on. We are reshaping global media and constantly working to strengthen our reputation as one of the world’s most respected news and current affairs channels. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/#AlJazeeraEnglish#BreakingNews#AlJazeeraLive
DW News goes deep beneath the surface, providing the key stories from Europe and around the world. Exciting reports and interviews from the worlds of politics, business, sports, culture and social media are presented by our DW anchors in 15-, 30- and 60-minute shows. Correspondents on the ground and experts in the studio deliver detailed insights and analysis of issues that affect our viewers around the world. We combine our expertise on Germany and Europe with a special interest in Africa and Asia while keeping track of stories from the rest of the world. Informative, entertaining and up-to-date – DW News, connecting the dots for our viewers across the globe. Deutsche Welle is Germany’s international broadcaster. We convey a comprehensive image of Germany, report events and developments, incorporate German and other perspectives in a journalistically independent manner. By doing so we promote understanding between cultures and peoples. #dwNews#LiveNews#NewsToday
On the return of Axios on HBO, Axios National Political Correspondent, Jonathan Swan, speaks with President Donald Trump about multiple topics including the coronavirus crisis, the Black Lives Matter movement, the November election, and U.S. Foreign Policy in Afghanistan, China, and Russia. Axios On HBO airs Mondays at 11pm. #HBO#AxiosOnHBO Subscribe to HBO on YouTube: https://goo.gl/wtFYd7 Known for delivering news, coverage, and insight with a distinctive brand of smart brevity, Axios on HBO helps viewers better understand the big trends reshaping America and the world through exclusive interviews, profiles, and breaking news content. Official Site of Axios on HBO: https://www.hbo.com/axios Watch Now Get HBO: https://itsh.bo/ways-to-get Get More HBO Official Site: https://itsh.bo/dotcom Twitter: https://twitter.com/hbo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hbo Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hbo AXIOS on HBO: President Trump Exclusive Interview (Full Episode) | HBO
Can Donald Trump retain the presidency? – BBC Newsnight
With less than 100 days until the US Presidential election, coronavirus cases are still increasing, unrest continues on the streets and Donald Trump is lagging behind Joe Biden in the polls. Newsnight looks at the current state of America. Subscribe to our channel here: https://goo.gl/31Q53F In any other presidential election year, America would be dominating our screens. The November race has the power to define not just the future of our closest ally — but the direction of the UK’s foreign policy and trade deals. But much of this vital race has been swallowed up by the pandemic and the spike in cases has hit republican areas hard. What damage could this do to Trump’s chances of re-election? As Joe Biden seems to be ahead in all the key battlegrounds, how can Donald Trump retain the presidency? The US has also seen protests and riots taking place across the country in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death. Does this help or hinder Trump’s Donald law-and-order-focused re-election campaign? Emily Maitlis is joined by The Lincoln Project’s Rick Wilson, former senior adviser to the Trump campaign Barry Bennett and pollster Rachel Bitecofer. BBC’s North America Editor Jon Sopel reports. #BBC#Newsnight#USElection2020 Newsnight is the BBC’s flagship news and current affairs TV programme – with analysis, debate, exclusives, and robust interviews. Website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsnight Twitter: https://twitter.com/BBCNewsnight Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbcnewsnight
Trump’s Tax Nightmare Comes True as NY D.A. Probes Fraud, Demands Taxes | MSNBC
The New York D.A. is moving quickly to compel Pres. Trump’s secret financial records after winning a blockbuster Supreme Court case, an outcome previewed by former U.S. Solicitor General Neal Katyal. The seasoned lawyer discusses the escalating criminal probe with MSNBC’s Chief Legal Correspondent Ari Melber. (This interview is from MSNBC’s “The Beat with Ari Melber, a news show covering politics, law and culture airing nightly at 6pm ET on MSNBC. http://www.thebeatwithari.com). Aired on 8/3/2020. » Subscribe to MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc MSNBC delivers breaking news, in-depth analysis of politics headlines, as well as commentary and informed perspectives. Find video clips and segments from The Rachel Maddow Show, Morning Joe, Meet the Press Daily, The Beat with Ari Melber, Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace, Hardball, All In, Last Word, 11th Hour, and more.
Acosta to Trump: Why does virus task force keep contradicting you?
When asked by CNN’s Jim Acosta why members of his coronavirus taskforce have contradicted him, President Donald Trump dodged the question and made inaccurate claims about hydroxychloroquine again. CNN’s Brianna Keilar fact-checks those claims. #Trump#CNN#News
Burnett: Trump calls Dr. Birx pathetic after she tells the truth
CNN’s Erin Burnett criticizes President Donald Trump for saying coronavirus task force member Deborah Birx was “pathetic” for caving to Democrats after she told the truth about the coronavirus. #Burnett#Trump#CNN#News
Jared Kushner’s Failed Testing Plan; Trump Threatens to Ban TikTok: A Closer Look
Seth takes a closer look at the Trump administration scrapping a nationwide testing plan because they wanted to blame Democrats for the coronavirus pandemic. Late Night with Seth Meyers is supporting City Harvest to help those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. City Harvest is New York City’s largest food rescue organization, working to end hunger throughout its communities by rescuing 66 million pounds of food each year and delivering it, free of charge, to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens and other community partners across five boroughs. Click the button on the above/below to donate or visit https://www.cityharvest.org/. Late Night with Seth Meyers. Stream now on Peacock: https://bit.ly/3erP2gX Subscribe to Late Night: http://bit.ly/LateNightSeth Watch Late Night with Seth Meyers Weeknights 12:35/11:35c on NBC. Get more Late Night with Seth Meyers: http://www.nbc.com/late-night-with-se…
The CFPB once defended consumers. Thanks to Trump, it now helps companies prey on them instead.
Kathleen Kraninger testifies in the Senate on her nomination to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in Washington on July 19, 2018. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)
For two days this week, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Kathy Kraninger testified to Congress about protecting consumers during the coronavirus pandemic, first in the Senate and then in the House. It went about as well as could be expected, which is not particularly well at all. Kraninger, a thoroughly unqualified Trump appointee, has shown little interest in doing her purported job, which is protecting Americans from the financial services industry. Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-N.Y.) said she lacked empathy, while Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) demanded she resign.
Kraninger’s main accomplishment since the start of the covid-19 pandemic has been the loosening of regulations on payday loans. Previously, regulations stopped people who couldn’t afford to repay the loans from taking them on, because borrowers seeking short-term relief instead often found themselves trapped in a cycle of quickly rising debt. Annual interest on payday loans can run above 500 percent.
When queried as to why she loosened regulations on payday loans, Kraninger said that consumers are showing a lot of interest in them. That’s quite possibly true, given that at least 1 million people have filed for unemployment every week since mid-March, but hardly the point of Kraninger’s critics, who believe payday loans are exploitative products that prey on the financially desperate.
Then there is the fact that, since the beginning of the shutdowns, tens of thousands of consumer complaints have poured into the CFPB about mortgage issues, inaccurate credit reports, hassles with debt collectors, you name it. Kraninger says she’s addressing them but her critics — such as Warren — disagree.
The CFPB was conceived by Warren while she was a professor at Harvard Law School. It was meant to give consumers leverage over the financial-services sector, which all too often saw them as so much prey. It scored major victories during the Obama administration. It called out lending institutions for racistauto loan lending standards and spearheaded the federal investigation into Wells Fargo for a decade of turning a blind eye to its employees opening fake accounts for customers in an attempt to keep up with unrealistic sales goals.
No surprise, the financial services sector, which hates the CFPB, cheered Kraninger’s appointment to the job. Their faith was well rewarded, and not just in the area of payday loans. Last year, a House Financial Services Committee investigation revealed that during Kraninger’s first six months on the job, the amount of money the bureau recovered for consumers fell to six percent of what it had been under the final months of Obama appointee Richard Cordray’s leadership. Instead, under Kraninger, the CFPB emphasizes “financial literacy,” despite the fact that, when put on the spot by Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) in 2019, Kraninger couldn’t even properly calculate an annual interest rate.
Of course, the sabotage — and make no mistake, that’s what it is — of the CFPB isn’t even a major story in the Trump era. On Thursday, Vanity Fair revealed that a White House initiative led by Jared Kushner (who else?) to devise a national policy to test for covid-19 was undermined from within, possibly because the disease initially hit politically expendable Democratic states. Millions of parents are suddenly realizing there will be no in-person public school for their children this fall and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos shows next to no concern. The U.S. Postal Service, systemically underfunded, is now falling behind on delivering mail, seemingly at the behest of its new head, Trump donor Louis DeJoy. That’s not just an annoyance, but something that could contribute to election chaos in November if ballots are not delivered or received on time.
In the face of all this, Kraninger’s inept management of the CFPB barely merits a moment of attention. But it should. Her tenure in the top role of the government’s most powerful consumer advocacy organization is a demonstration of the contempt Trump and Republicans hold for governance, not to mention their prioritization of the interests of the wealthiest segments of our economy over the well-being of everyone else. It’s an absolute shame and travesty that Kraninger, whose knowledge of personal finance appears limited to how she can best serve the all-powerful financial sector, is in charge of one of the government agencies best positioned to help Americans protect their money at a time of unprecedented economic carnage.
Helaine Olen is a contributor to Post Opinions and the author of “Pound Foolish: Exposing the Dark Side of the Personal Finance Industry.” Her work has appeared in Slate, the Nation, the New York Times, the Atlantic and many other publications. She serves on the advisory board of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project. Follow
Within the last year, planting trees was the thing to do in easing the negative effects of climate change. This is evident by the slew of various tree-planting initiatives that were organized, including Team Trees where 600 YouTubers pledged to plant 20 million trees, Ethiopia breaking the world record by planting over 350 million trees in half a day, and these 13 feel-good stories about saving our planet.
While the coronavirus has taken over airtime in recent months, the need for tree-planting never went away with many of these initiatives continuing to plant trees. And many are making good progress on their goals.
One such initiative is the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami, Pakistan’s largest ever tree plantation project, which recently had an update on its progress in the form of a before and after video that has been making people gasp in wonder.
It takes years for some of us to get simple things done, but nature is better at reaching its goals
Pakistan’s Advisor to the Minister of Climate Change shared an inspiring before-and-after video of how much the natural landscape in Balloki changed in a year
Malik Amin Aslam, Pakistan’s Advisor to the Prime Minister and Federal Minister of Climate Change, shared a video on his Twitter of what the Balloki Nature Reserve near Lahore in the Punjab district looked like a year ago, and what it looks like now.
The video shows barren land with virtually no greenery for miles, a sight that was seen during Aslam’s visit to the area a year ago. Today, it is a luscious and prosperous area fully paved with grass and trees.
The caption read: “Was a treat to visit #BallokiNatureReserve #Lahore after a year – #PMIK @ImranKhanPTI inaugurated this in 2019 as part of #10BillionTreeTsunami and the plantation results in a year are phenomenal – #Change and #NayaPakistan IA”.
This change is a part of the 10 Billion Tree Tsunami project which aims to reforest Pakistan
10 Billion Tree Tsunami is a government launched and funded project to promote reforestation in Pakistan. The project hopes to plant 10 billion trees within the span of five years, and to achieve a number of other objectives, including to increase forest area, rehabilitate degraded forests, to protect green areas and its wildlife, to provide jobs, among many others.
You see, trees help to protect the soil from degradation and to regulate water on farms, mitigate floods, and enrich the soil and surrounding areas with biodiversity. Also, crops grown in forested areas are often more resilient to the impact of droughts, excessive rains, and extreme weather.
The project aims to increase forest area, rehabilitate degraded forests, and protect green areas and the wildlife living in it, among other objectives
So far in 2020, 20,798 hectares of plantations were planted to achieve these aims. The Redd Monitor reports that a total of 350,000 hectares of trees were already planted in both planting and natural regeneration form and that the project has also created around 3,500 green enclosures in state-owned forests.
Back in February, the ministry announced their plan to plant 250 million saplings this spring in hopes of populating the bare bits of land around cities. However, it is not clear whether this has been achieved because of the coronavirus and the subsequent lockdown.
The project includes 3 regions with 27 divisions and progress is seen in many locations across the country
The project earned great recognition, including that from the World Economic Forum, WWF, and IUCN
The project has come under fire for a number of reasons. There have been alleged reports of bogus billing, fake plantation, poor quality earthwork, unauthorised payments, and other activities that hint at corruption.
Besides that, it was also reported by the Redd Monitor that the coronavirus lockdown has also led to planters earning around 500 rupees a day—half of what they could on a good day before the pandemic, meaning that they now earn less than minimum wage (which is approx. 800 per day).
Despite this, the project has managed to earn a number of awards and wider recognition over the years, including that from the World Economic Forum, WWF, IUCN, and was ranked 4th biggest initiative by the Plant for Planet Foundation (UNFCCC). And now that people can see more results of the initiative in Aslam’s video, it’s safe to say that the project is going somewhere and both the planet and, subsequently, humanity will benefit from it in the long run.
Besides restoring natural landscapes, the project also plans to create jobs and ensure greater wildlife security
With its 10 billion tree “tsunami”, Pakistan joins a number of other massive tree-planting projects, including the aforementioned Ethiopia’s record-breaking campaign that managed to plant 350 million saplings in 12 hours. Another attempt at breaking the record happened in India, where 1.5 million volunteers planted 66 million trees in the same timespan, showing just how much more natural the world has become over the recent years.
What did you think about this? Have you had a chance to plant a tree, and if so, which one? Let us know in the comment section below!
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Artist and photographer Christian Spencer was standing on his verandah in Rio de Janeiro when he made an amazing discovery. When the black Jacobin hummingbird flew with the sun striking its open wings, a beautiful prism effect appeared. At that moment, it was as if its body was made of rainbows.
