Just a few days after the young French president made headlines for his white-knuckled, “not innocent” handshake with Donald Trump, Russian president Vladimir Putin was prepared for his first meeting with Emanuel Macron, with the result captured on the following clip.
What followed was talks in private between the two leaders in Versailles that lasted for almost three hours during which the two leaders discussed a number of topics ranging from bilateral relations to the situations in Syria, Ukraine, Libya and the Korean Peninsula, and culminated with a press conference in which Macron said the “Franco-Russian friendship” was at heart of his meeting with Putin and called for improved ties with Russia but warned he would hold tough positions on sanctions and the civil war in Syria. “I want us to win the fight against terrorists in Syria and build together lasting political stability. We have laid the ground for that work together today.” Macron said. “I believe we’ve had an extremely frank and direct exchange. We have told each other everything.” Macron also admitted he has “some disagreements” with his Russian counterpart, but said that the two leaders discussed them openly. The French president concede that serious international problems cannot be resolved without Moscow, as he stressed the importance of the role Russia plays in the modern world. “No major problem in the world can be solved without Russia,” he said during the press conference, and added that France is interested in intensifying cooperation with Russia, particularly in resolving the Syrian crisis. The French leader went on to say that this issue demands “an inclusive political solution.” Macron said that fighting terrorism and ISIS remains an “absolute priority” for France and serves as one of the reasons for the reinforcement of cooperation with Russia. He also said that the use of chemical weapons is a “red line” that should not be crossed, warning that the use of such weapons in Syria would trigger a “reprisal” from France. Previously, France demanded the removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a Kremlin ally, and accused his regime of staging a chemical attack in April that provoked a U.S. military response. An unfazed Putin “welcomed the overtures” according to Bloomberg, while avoiding any public conflict with his French host, even over Macron’s accusation that Russian media spread lies and propaganda during the campaign, which came in response to a Russian reporter’s question. “They didn’t act like the media, like journalists. They behaved like deceitful propaganda,” Macron told RT France head Xenia Fedorova during the joint press conference. “I have always had an exemplary relationship with foreign journalists, but they have to be real journalists,” explained Macron, who defeated Marine Le Pen in the second round of the election, earlier this month. “All foreign journalists, including Russian journalists, had access to my campaign.”
Macron described RT and Sputnik as “organs of influence and propaganda” adding that both “produced infamous counter-truths about him.” Putin again denied any efforts to meddle in the vote (shortly after the summit, Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow “does not agree” with Macron’s statements about the two news organizations), and agreed that while the two leaders have some differences, he said that they assess many issues in a similar way, and that French-Russian relations could be “qualitatively” improved. “We sought … common ground [in dealing] with key issues of the international agenda. And I believe that we see it. We are able to … at least try to start resolving the key modern problems together,” Putin said. Putin said he outlined Russia’s position on Syria to Macron and said that terrorism cannot be defeated by destroying a host nation’s statehood. “It is impossible to fight a terrorist threat by dismantling the statehood of those countries that already suffer from some internal problems and conflicts,” he said at the joint press conference. Putin said that Russia and France are determined to cooperate in resolving the crises in Syria, Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula, as well as to fight terrorism together. The Russian leader added that he and Macron had particularly agreed to establish a working group on fighting terrorism. As Bloomberg adds, Macron met Putin “amid the gold and marble of Versailles and showed him around an exhibition commemorating Russian czar Peter the Great, who visited France in 1717.”
A full replay is available below. from http://capitalisthq.com/we-have-told-each-other-everything-highlights-from-macrons-first-meeting-with-putin/
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Listen to the Playbook Audio Briefing http://bit.ly/2qukEu9… Subscribe on iTunes http://apple.co/2eX6Eay … Visit the online home of Playbook http://politi.co/2f51Jnf FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — JOSH GREEN’S NEW BOOK: “THE DEVIL’S BARGAIN: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump, and the Storming of the Presidency” — Josh wrote the first big profile of Steve Bannon in a cover story for Bloomberg Businessweek back in Oct. 2015 (https://bloom.bg/2rwU3Ri). On July 18, he’ll release “The Devil’s Bargain,” which chronicles the campaign — and Bannon’s influence — from the inside. The very cool cover http://bit.ly/2reBVL5 … Pre-order on Amazon for $27.00 or $13.99 on Kindle http://amzn.to/2rcLnws Story Continued Below Happy Monday and Memorial Day. THE BIG DAY-OFF READ … — NYT A1, GLENN THRUSH, MAGGIE HABERMAN and SHARON LaFRANIERE, “Jared Kushner’s Role Is Tested as Russia Case Grows”: “In a statement Sunday night, Mr. Trump praised his son-in-law and the work he has done in the White House. ‘Jared is doing a great job for the country,’ he said. ‘I have total confidence in him. He is respected by virtually everyone and is working on programs that will save our country billions of dollars. In addition to that, and perhaps more importantly, he is a very good person.’ … [I]n recent weeks, the Trump-Kushner relationship, the most stable partnership in an often unstable West Wing, is showing unmistakable signs of strain. … It has been duly noted in the White House that Mr. Trump, who feels that he has been ill served by his staff, has increasingly included Mr. Kushner when he dresses down aides and officials, a rarity earlier in his administration and during the campaign. “The most serious point of contention between the president and his son-in-law … was a video clip this month of Mr. Kushner’s sister Nicole Meyer pitching potential investors in Beijing on a Kushner Companies condominium project in Jersey City. At one point, Ms. Meyer — who remains close to Mr. Kushner — dangled the availability of EB-5 visas to the United States as an enticement for Chinese financiers willing to spend $500,000 or more. For Mr. Trump, Ms. Meyer’s performance violated two major rules: Politically, it undercut his immigration crackdown, and in a personal sense, it smacked of profiteering off Mr. Trump — one of the sins that warrants expulsion from his orbit. In the following days during routine West Wing meetings, the president made several snarky, disparaging comments about Mr. Kushner’s family and the visas that were clearly intended to express his annoyance … Mr. Kushner did not respond, at least not in earshot. … “[His] unfailing self-regard has not endeared him to the rest of the staff. Resentful Trump staff members have long talked about ‘Jared Island’ to describe the special status occupied by Mr. Kushner, who, in their view, is given license to exercise power and take on a vague portfolio … without suffering the consequences of failure visited by the president on mere hirelings. Adding to the animus is Mr. Kushner’s aloof demeanor and his propensity for avoiding messy aspects of his job that he would simply rather not do — he has told associates he wants nothing to do with the legislative process, for instance. … Mr. Bannon, a onetime Kushner ally turned adversary known for working himself into ill health, has taken to comparing the former real estate executive to ‘the air,’ because he blows in and out of meetings leaving little trace, according to one senior Trump aide.” http://nyti.ms/2sd4bv4 ONE THEME we keep hearing in our conversations with senior White House aides and Capitol Hill stalwarts is “hubris.” Jared Kushner has never served in government and thinks he knows all, one person said to us. Why would the president’s son in law begin complex conversations with Russia before Trump got into office? **SUBSCRIBE to Playbook: http://politi.co/2lQswbh INSIDE THE WEST WING — HOW TRUMP IS REACTING — “Trump’s obsession over Russia probe deepens: But the president’s senior aides say he has yet to decide on a strategy for confronting the crises,” by Matt Nussbaum, Josh Dawsey and Eliana Johnson with Alex Isenstadt: “President Donald Trump has been aggressively working the phones since returning this weekend from his foreign trip, talking to friends and outside lawyers as he obsesses over the deepening investigations into his aides and Russia. Two White House officials said Trump and some aides including Steve Bannon are becoming increasingly convinced that they are victims of a conspiracy against Trump’s presidency, as evidenced by the number of leaks flowing out of government — that the crusade by the so-called ‘deep state’ is a legitimate threat, not just fodder for right wing defenders. … Senior aides and long-time confidants admitted not knowing who Trump would hire, how safe the jobs of top staff are, what the White House’s agenda is for the coming days, or what — if anything — they can accomplish.” http://politi.co/2qyAH9B — @HansNichols: “Spotted at the White House: Trump’s personal lawyer Marc Kasowitz meeting with Ivanka at the White House, via @MoshehNBC” THE LEGISLATIVE REALITY — LEADING WSJ.COM — “GOP’s Proposed Tax Changes Are No Match for Status Quo: Republicans’ boldest ideas for changes are on political life support as plans collide with the tax system’s reality,” by Rich Rubin: “There’s a clear winner in this year’s tax policy debate so far: The status quo. “Republicans are scouring the tax code, searching for breaks to eliminate to offset the deep rate cuts they desire. But the biggest tax breaks are surviving and the boldest ideas for change are on political life support or already dead. Republican proposals for border-adjusting the corporate tax, ending the business interest deduction and making major changes to individual tax breaks for health and retirement all hit resistance within the GOP. The only big revenue-raising provision with anything close to Republican consensus is repealing the deduction for state and local taxes, and that faces objections from blue-state lawmakers in the party. “The GOP’s dreams have collided with interest-group lobbying and the tax system’s reality. Politicians all profess to hate the tax code, but they don’t agree on exactly what they hate. Voters gripe about complexity but are wary of losing cherished breaks that are woven into the economy.” http://on.wsj.com/2r40oCc ****** A message from Morgan Stanley: Morgan Stanley helped All Aboard Florida raise capital to bring Brightline, an express railway, to the Sunshine State—potentially cutting travel time across Southern Florida by up to 25-30%1 versus existing options. Investing in infrastructure isn’t just good for people—it can be good for cities. Learn more at morganstanley.com/brightline. ****** TRANSLATING TRUMP: THE PRESIDENT tweeted last night: “The massive TAX CUTS/REFORM that I have submitted is moving along in the process very well, actually ahead of schedule. Big benefits to all!” — A FEW THINGS TO UNPACK HERE: Tax cuts and reform are two very different things. Tax reform is rewriting the tax code, and perhaps cutting taxes, too. A simple “tax cut” would be much easier to accomplish, but would face stiff resistance from conservatives, who would call it an easy way out. Also: the tax plan that Trump submitted is as dead as can be and IS NOT ahead — or on — any schedule. The House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee have started their own tax reform process, but it is not ahead of any sort of schedule. It is, though, a work in progress. TRUMP INC. — NYT Business Day cover, “The Coat of Arms Said ‘Integrity.’ Now It Says ‘Trump,’” by Danny Hakim in London: “At the Trump National Golf Club outside Washington, which hosted the Senior P.G.A. Championship this weekend, the president’s coat of arms is everywhere — the sign out front, the pro shop, even the exercise room. The regal emblem, used at President Trump’s golf courses across the United States, sports three lions and two chevrons on a shield, below a gloved hand gripping an arrow. A different coat of arms flies over Mr. Trump’s two golf resorts in Scotland. … Mr. Trump’s American coat of arms belongs to another family. It was granted by British authorities in 1939 to Joseph Edward Davies, the third husband of Marjorie Merriweather Post, the socialite who built the Mar-a-Lago resort that is now Mr. Trump’s cherished getaway. In the United States, the Trump Organization took Mr. Davies’s coat of arms for its own, making one small adjustment — replacing the word ‘Integritas,’ Latin for integrity, with ‘Trump.’” http://nyti.ms/2sdcM0B OLIVIA NUZZI in NYMag, “‘Is This Even About Seth Rich At All?’”: “The people who knew and loved Seth Rich still sometimes speak of him in the present tense. … They remember his warm, broad smile and his tendency to greet all in his immediate vicinity with a round of high-fives. … They talk about how much fun he was, how he’d always show up to a party, how he’d always volunteer to be the butt of a joke. There was the time he sported a panda suit at work all day, or when a colleague came over to his desk to find him sitting there holding a cup of coffee and wearing a unicorn mask like it was just business casual. … They also speak of a son — one who talked to his parents on the phone nearly every day — a brother, a boyfriend, and a friend. They say he was a thoughtful listener and a kind, solid midwesterner. He liked beer and Husker football, and he was the godfather to a cockapoo puppy named Archie.” http://nym.ag/2s6TDy3 THE OPPOSITION — “Sanders revolution hits a rough patch: Bernie’s supporters struggle to capture the actual levers of power,” by David Siders in Sacramento: “[A] year after Sanders’ presidential run fell short, one thing is missing in the afterglow — a reliable string of victories at the ballot box. “The losses are piling up. Earlier this month, Democrat Heath Mello, whom Sanders campaigned with, failed to unseat a Republican in Omaha’s race for mayor. Kimberly Ellis, the candidate endorsed by Our Revolution, the successor group to Sanders’ presidential campaign, lost a fiercely contested race for California Democratic Party chair. And on Thursday night, Republican Greg Gianforte bested Rob Quist, another Democrat for whom Sanders campaigned, in a nationally watched House race in Montana. Speaking at a victory party, Gianforte called the election proof ‘Bernie Sanders and Nancy Pelosi can’t call the shots here in Montana.’” http://politi.co/2qrP4kQ FIRST LOOK — The House GOP is out with a new Memorial Day video featuring veterans in the Republican conference – cameos by: Reps. Brian Babin (Texas), Mark Sanford (S.C.), Jeff Denham (Calif.), Ted Poe (Texas), Barry Loudermilk (Ga.), Larry Bucshon (Ind.). 1-min. video http://bit.ly/2sdccjw PUTIN IN FRANCE — “Putin visits France, hopes to mend strained ties with West,” by AP’s Vladimir Isachenkov and Sylvie Corbet in Versailles: “On a trip likely to shape Russia-France ties for years to come, Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in France on Monday for talks with newly-elected French President Emmanuel Macron — the candidate he did not back in presidential vote. “The trip offers the Russian leader a chance to turn the page and try to establish a productive relationship with Macron as the Kremlin struggles to mend its bitter rift with the West. Macron is the first Western leader to speak to Putin after the Group of Seven summit over the weekend, where relations with Russia were a key topic.” http://apne.ws/2rx9MQx THE PRESIDENT is speaking and laying a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery this morning. WHAT THE FIRST FAMILY IS READING — DARREN SAMUELSOHN: “Lara Trump’s controversial pet issue: First-daughter-in-law advocates for beagles, but her partner’s past tactics cause concern”: “President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law has taken up a pet issue — beagle adoption — that reflects her lifelong interest in animal welfare. One of Lara Trump’s partners, however, is a little problematic. Eric Trump’s wife has publicly aligned with a controversial animal rights group, the Beagle Freedom Project, whose leadership includes a felon who served a six-year sentence in federal prison for harassing and stalking researchers.” http://politi.co/2sduWiN — FT: “World Bank helps Trump on US infrastructure plans: Critics say bank is currying favour with advice after creation of ‘Ivanka fund,’” by Shawn Donnan: “The World Bank has begun advising the Trump administration on its infrastructure plans, the latest product of a budding relationship between first daughter Ivanka Trump and bank president Jim Yong Kim that is raising eyebrows among bank veterans and governance experts. “The unusual move grew out of an April 3 White House meeting between Mr. Kim and Ms. Trump to discuss a new $1bn women’s entrepreneurship fund championed by Donald Trump’s eldest daughter that the bank is trying to set up ahead of a G20 summit in Germany in July. At the end of that April meeting Ms. Trump asked whether the World Bank president wanted to meet her father and then led him to the Oval Office. There, according to people briefed on the meeting, the president was huddled with advisers discussing infrastructure plans, prompting Mr. Kim to offer to help. “Three days later a team of infrastructure experts from the World Bank was sent to New York to meet members of a new presidential council, according to a World Bank spokesman who confirmed the meetings. ‘These conversations continue at an informal level,’ he said.” http://on.ft.com/2rNRv0Z DEEP DIVE — MARGARET TALBOT in The New Yorker, “The Addicts Next Door: West Virginia has the highest overdose death rate in the country. Locals are fighting to save their neighbors—and their towns—from destruction”: “According to the Charleston Gazette-Mail, between 2007 and 2012 drug wholesalers shipped to West Virginia seven hundred and eighty million pills of hydrocodone (the generic name for Vicodin) and oxycodone (the generic name for OxyContin). That was enough to give each resident four hundred and thirty-three pills.” http://bit.ly/2qyINin INSIDE HILLARY WORLD — “The Place Where Letters To Hillary Clinton Go,” by BuzzFeed’s Ruby Cramer: “At just 30 years old, Rob Russo has been one of Hillary Clinton’s closest aides for a decade, organizing and drafting her political and personal correspondence. After the election, his job changed as thousands of strangers starting writing to Clinton. Now he’s living through the end of an era, one letter at a time.” http://bzfd.it/2s6dYUh JOSH ROGIN in WaPo, “Inside the Trump administration’s plans to restart the Ukraine peace process”: “In their Oval Office meeting in March, President Trump told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that the Ukraine crisis was Europe’s responsibility and that the United States wouldn’t get heavily involved, according to two officials briefed on the discussion. Only two months later, the Trump administration is reversing course and planning to re-engage on Ukraine in a significant way. For Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who is leading the behind-the-scenes effort, Ukraine is where Trump’s so-far thwarted plan to improve U.S.-Russian relations can be kick-started. Although still in its early stages, Tillerson’s idea is to restart a version of the peace negotiations that the Obama administration was engaged in last year, hoping that new circumstances and personalities might produce better results.” http://wapo.st/2r3NEMc ****** A message from Morgan Stanley: Morgan Stanley helped raise the capital needed by innovative company All Aboard Florida to enhance Florida’s infrastructure by developing the nation’s first express, intercity rail, Brightline. The train, connecting cities across Southern Florida, is expected to cut down on travel time for residents and tourists, and could potentially add up to hundreds of millions in federal, state and local government tax revenue over the next several years.1 Capital creates better connections for people, communities and cities. Learn more at morganstanley.com/brightline. Capital creates change. ****** ELIOT COHEN in TheAtlantic.com, “What Did Trump Accomplish on His First Foreign Trip? Some firm handshakes, forced smiles, and awkward sword dances. In short, nothing”: “It is proof of how low our standards are for judging Trump’s competence that he got high marks for delivering speeches more or less accurately, if woodenly, from teleprompters and scripts. He did not declare war on Islam. He spent only 15 minutes at Yad Vashem and left a semi-literate note there, but at least said nothing egregiously stupid. He was polite to the Pope. He said that the Germans were ‘bad, very bad’ on trade but admired Egyptian president Sisi’s shoes. His motorcade was not stormed by angry European leftists. But what did he accomplish?”http://theatln.tc/2rwHXYu — “As Iran and U.S. Leaders Trade Barbs, Big Deals Proceed,” by NYT’s Thomas Erdbrink in Tehran: “President Trump, who has never made a secret of his hostility toward Iran, called recently for a grand regional strategy among Sunni nations to isolate the country. But Tehran received that threat with surprising equanimity because, in practice, the Trump administration has shown a willingness to do business with the country. … “Tough talk from both sides, but back in Iran, they are awaiting the delivery of a fleet of American-made Boeing airliners, the result of two deals worth $22 billion for the United States company. The most recent contract between the plane maker and the Iranian airline Iran Aseman was signed two months after President Trump was sworn into office.” http://nyti.ms/2s6nE0S THE GLOBAL POLITICO PODCAST – SUSAN GLASSER, “How the British Election Looks Like America’s”: “Steve Hilton, who served as the Conservatives’ top strategist in the last British general election before falling out with his close friend, May’s predecessor David Cameron, over Brexit. In a new interview for The Global Politico, Hilton says May has not followed through on the ‘political revolution’ that brought Brexit and Trump to the U.S. with a comparable ‘policy revolution’—nor does she seem likely to after a campaign that at times now seems reminiscent of last year’s American contest.” http://politi.co/2sdqlwX … Transcript http://politi.co/2sdJ8bu … Subscribe http://apple.co/2kJ9q1U PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — “One D.C. school lost more than a quarter of its teaching staff this year,” by WaPo’s Alejandra Matos: “The vacancies hit hardest in schools that already face numerous academic challenges, according to data The Washington Post obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. “At Ballou High School in Southeast Washington, more than a quarter of the faculty quit after starting work in August. Many of their classrooms now have long-term substitutes. Dwight Harris, 16, an 11th-grader, said his Algebra 2 class has been chaotic since his first teacher left in January. ‘No one is teaching. It’s been like that for months now,’ Harris said. ‘We don’t do anything, so I leave and go to my biology class or English class and go do other work.’ “Most teachers wait until summer to call it quits, but in DCPS a rising number are leaving during the school year. The mid-year resignation rate for DCPS was higher than for some other urban school systems The Post checked. In the D.C. system, 184 of about 4,000 teachers — nearly 5 percent — quit from September to mid-May. That was a 44 percent increase over the 128 teachers who left in the 2013-2014 school year.” http://wapo.st/2qyK8Gb MOLLY BALL reviews Al Franken’s “Giant of the Senate” for the NYT http://nyti.ms/2qrJsXM PLAYBOOKERS’ VACATION PIX – Josh and Melissa Sharp spent the week leading into Memorial Day touring the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii and Germany’s Neuschwanstein Castle. Pics http://bit.ly/2qrHXIY … http://bit.ly/2qrve9r… http://bit.ly/2reQkqG … A Playbooker in Monaco attending yesterday’s Grand Prix sends a shot of German Sebastian Vettel’s car in the lead driving for Ferrari, which won for the first time in 16 years http://bit.ly/2qrvmpr … The winning car before the race http://bit.ly/2qrx8H0 … Dr. Tomicah Tillemann, director of Bretton Woods II and Blockchain at the New America Foundation and a former speechwriter and senior advisor to Hillary at State, and his wife Sarah Tillemann, alum of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, write in: “We’ve been with our five little ones reconnecting with the values of sacrifice, service and love of country at the site of the D-Day landings. We walked past a quote from General Mark Clark en route to the grave sites at Omaha Beach: ‘If ever proof were needed that we fought for a cause and not for conquest, it could be found in these cemeteries. Here was our only conquest: all we asked was enough soil in which to bury our gallant dead.’ There is no more powerful reminder of why democracy, decency, and the defense of human rights have always been at the core of America’s greatness and the foundation of our most powerful alliances. Let’s keep it that way…” Pix http://bit.ly/2rclYmL SPOTTED -- Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at The Studio theatre performance last night of “The Father” with Ted Van Griethuysen as a man diagnosed with dementia. The show got a standing ovation and Ginsburg went immediately backstage after the performance. … Secretary of State Rex Tillerson yesterday riding a maroon Harley-Davidson during Rolling Thunder — pichttp://bit.ly/2reABb5 … Tony Podesta and Vin Roberti at the amfAR “making AIDS history” fundraiser at the Hotel Du Cap in Cap d’Antibes — pic http://bit.ly/2rxIadQ WEEKEND WEDDINGS — THE PRIDE OF TAMPA TIES THE KNOT, MARRIES UP –“Heather Caygle, Aaron Lorenzo” -- N.Y. Times: “The bride, 29, and groom, 41, cover Congress for Politico. Ms. Caygle [author of Huddle] graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and received a master’s degree in journalism from American University. … Mr. Lorenzo … graduated from Boston University … The couple met in Washington in 2013 while working as reporters at Bloomberg BNA. They had desks next to each other for more than a year before the groom worked up the courage to ask her out.” With pic http://nyti.ms/2s9M2OF POOL REPORT from Seung Min Kim: The “emotional ceremony … featured personal vows, a touching reading from POLITICO’s Anthony Adragna and a starring role for their corgi/chihuahua mix, Biggie Smalls, who served as ring bearer [pic: http://bit.ly/2quuxrE]. Then it was off to Iron City, where the bride and groom made a grand entrance to the Stevie Wonder classic ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’ as friends and family — some who traveled from as far away as Canada — cheered the newlyweds on. Other highlights: Heather’s surprise mother-daughter dance for mom Kitty, which left the crowd in tears; an elaborate groom’s cake for Aaron shaped like a grill, and oversized cutout heads of Heather, Aaron and Biggie that the partygoers waved on the dance floor.” Wedding pics http://bit.ly/2r3HueU … http://bit.ly/2rc6U8M … http://bit.ly/2qrH4jV SPOTTED: A strong showing of Politicos past and present, and their loved ones: Kevin Robillard and Lindy Stevens, Adam Snider and Emma Dumain, Seung Min Kim and Jeff Lee, Lauren Gardner and Patrick Ambrosio, Connor O’Brien, bridesmaid Kate Tummarello, Erin Mershon, Bernie Becker and Adriane Casalotti. Also spotted: Matt Fuller, who has impressive dance moves, and Jonathan Nicholson. –“Anna Greenberg, Dana Milbank” – Times: “Dr. Greenberg, 48, is a partner in Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, a polling firm in Washington. She graduated cum laude from Cornell and received a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Chicago. … The bride’s father [Stan] is the founding partner at Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research. … Mr. Milbank, 49, is a syndicated columnist with The Washington Post. He graduated cum laude from Yale. … The couple met at a party in Washington in October 2001 and went on a blind date 14 years later, in February 2015.” With pic http://nyti.ms/2qs1Xal — POOL REPORT, with the subject line “In-town pool report #1 — Milbank/Greenberg nuptials” from Julie Mason: “Two hundred guests sat on folding wooden chairs in the hall [at Eastern Market], warmly lit by overhead string lights, orange-hued footlights and flickering candles under glass. … Male guests wore yarmulkes in dove-grey satin … The couple read the Ketubah, had the blessings and broke the glasses. More than one eye in the room sparkled bright with a tear — one less bachelor in Washington! … In his own remarks to the gathering back inside the hall, now cleared of chairs and set up with a dance floor, Milbank noted the traditional Ketubah set a price on the wife to be paid to her father. Calculating that price to be 100 goats, Milbank presented noted pollster Stan Greenberg with four stuffed goats from a basket as a down payment, promising regular deliveries from Amazon ‘unless and until he says the debt is paid.’” Full pool report http://politi.co/2rx5rNc … Pics — Under the chuppa http://bit.ly/2r42KkG … First dance http://bit.ly/2rNNslo … http://bit.ly/2quxgld SPOTTED: Juleanna Glover and Christopher Reiter, former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Stan Greenberg, Amy Dacey, Katherine Miller, Terence Samuel, Jodi Enda, Tom Toles, Jonathan Karl, Susan Glasser and Peter Baker, Carol Lee, Anu Rangappa, Paul Kane, Neil King Jr. and Shailagh Murray, Jonathan Weisman, Jennifer Steinhauer, Anne Kornblut and Jon Cohen, JoDee Winterhoff, Juliet Eilperin, Eric Liu, Doug Sosnik. OBAMA ALUMNI — KATIE JOHNSON and NATE RAWLINGS tied the knot last night in Brookline, Massachusetts. POOL REPORT from Ben LaBolt and Kate Bedingfield: It was “a Beantown bash wedding complete with an excursion to a private island in Boston Harbor. Surrounded by friends and family, they married to the sound of bagpipes at All Saints Parish in Brookline then headed down the street for a rollicking reception at Katie’s family home (there remains a debate about the best dance performance to the silent DJ). Katie served as Personal Secretary to President Obama during his first term and as a Counselor in the Office of Management and Budget during the second. Nate, who served as a Captain in the Army in Iraq and Afghanistan, a reporter at Time Magazine and a speechwriter for Vice President Biden [and is also a State alum], is now chief speechwriter at the World Bank. … Revelers celebrated under a tent in Katie’s parents’ backyard, dancing to the wee hours of the night a mere 24 hours after a spirited game of capture the flag brought out both the best and worst of everyone in attendance.”Pics http://bit.ly/2reLZ6Q … http://bit.ly/2rf2IqT SPOTTED: Joel and Lisa Benenson, Meghan Johnson, Meaghan Burdick, Missy Kurek, Kal Penn, Todd and Lindsey Schulte, Mike O’Neil and Stephanie Sutton, Reid Cherlin and Annie Shacker, Thomas Richards, Ben Finkenbinder, Vinay Reddy, Emily Loeb and Sarah Feldman, David Kieve, Nikki Buffa, Jen Psaki and Greg Mecher, Stephanie Psaki and Adam Frankel, Chris Boutlier, Danielle Gray, Alex Mackler, Jenny Cizner and Jeff Amsel, Jacob Leibenluft, Mackey Dykes and Katie Scharf, Ishan Tharoor, Jenny Urizar. ENGAGED — Zach Gillan, research director for Congressional Leadership Fund and an alum of the NRSC, got engaged this weekend to Cherie Paquette, producer for FOX News’ “America’s Newsroom” with Bill Hemmer and Martha MacCallum. He proposed at Pippin Hill outside of Charlottesville, and they met in April 2014 at a happy hour for her going away party from the Washington Free Beacon to FOX News. The Daily Beast’s Lachlan Markay gets credit as the matchmaker. Pics http://bit.ly/2sd986Z … http://bit.ly/2rf31BH –Jason Rodriguez, a political advocacy specialist at the American Nurses Association, got engaged on Saturday to Brittany Grimm, manager of grassroots at the American Bankers Association. They met while they were House Democratic fundraising consultants during the ‘14 cycle. Rodriguez, former national deputy Latino vote director for the Hillary campaign, proposed after she arrived from a flight home after visiting some friends out west. Their dog, Arrow, and Jason were waiting at home with a room filled with candles. Pichttp://bit.ly/2rO3qMa … The ring http://bit.ly/2qykJwe WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Lydia Mulvany, reporter covering agriculture and commodities at Bloomberg, and Riccardo Reatti, VP of strategic initiatives at Zurich Insurance Company in Chicago, early Sunday morning welcomed Valentina, born at 12:30 a.m. Both mom and baby are healthy and happy. Pics http://bit.ly/2ra8V52 … http://bit.ly/2qyCJ9x …http://bit.ly/2rwIFVx BIRTHDAYS: Matthew Dowd … Jill Hazelbaker, V.P. of comms. and policy at Uber, and a Snapchat and McCain alum … Sandy DeFrees … Pete Seat, executive director of strategic comms and talent development at the Indiana Republican Party (and frequent World Series attender), is 34 … D.C. Examiner managing editor Philip Klein … Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.) is 6-0 … Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) is 63 … Kara Genderson (h/t Dan) … Francesca Chambers, a proud KU alum and White House Correspondent at The Daily Mail (hubby tip: Michael Moroney) … LifeZette’s Jon Conradi is 28 … Susan Osnos, the pride of Lakeside, Michigan (h/t son Evan) … Jacob Kornbluh, Jewish Insider’s tireless NYC-based reporter … Freakonomics’ Steven Levitt is 5-0 (h/ts Max Neuberger) … … Lee Satterfield, EVP and COO at Meridian International Center … Todd Flournoy … Bri Gillis … Sam Ford … Dayna Geldwert … Kimberly Rawson … Yale Scott … Dan Froomkin …Eugene Gelfgat (h/t Hayley Andrews) … Chris Johnson … Tom Giusto … Danny Maiello … Kathy Lash of Justine’s Ice Cream Parlour in St. Michaels and Ocean City, Maryland (h/ts Jon Haber) … Mary Ryan Douglass … Danny Crouch … Dave Yonkman is 31 … Terence Samuel, deputy managing editor at NPR and a WaPo alum … Alexander Berger … former Time Inc. CEO Ann Moore … Ellen Kurz … Mary Anne Schmitt (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) … Brian McClung … former Century Foundation president Janice Nittoli … Charlie Gerow … Aleen Sirgany … Tulin Daloglu … former baseball commissioner Fay Vincent, also a Hotchkiss grad, is 78 … Annette Bening is 59 … Melissa Etheridge is 56 … NBA player Carmelo Anthony is 33 (h/ts AP) ****** A message from Morgan Stanley: All Aboard Florida wanted to create a faster and easier way to move around Florida. Morgan Stanley helped them raise capital to begin development of the country’s first express, intercity railway to do just that. Not only are the new Brightline trains expected to reduce travel time across Southern Florida by approximately an hour1, but they’re also projected to take up to 3 million vehicles off the road each year, helping to reduce congestion and harmful emissions1. Read more about Morgan Stanley’s work at morganstanley.com/brightline. Capital creates change. Disclaimer: SUBSCRIBE to the Playbook family: POLITICO Playbook http://politi.co/1M75UbX … New York Playbook http://politi.co/1ON8bqW … Florida Playbook http://politi.co/1OypFe9 …New Jersey Playbook http://politi.co/1HLKltF … Massachusetts Playbook http://politi.co/1Nhtq5v … Illinois Playbook http://politi.co/1N7u5sb … California Playbook http://politi.co/2bLvcPl … Brussels Playbook http://politi.co/1FZeLcw … All our political and policy tipsheets http://politi.co/1M75UbX from http://capitalisthq.com/the-inside-look-at-jared-trumps-obsession-with-russia-scandal-grows-first-in-playbook-josh-greens-bannon-book-out-july-18-caygle-and-lorenzo-wed-in-ala-must-read-rich-r/ Jupiter, Florida – Tiger Woods was arrested around 3 AM on Memorial Day on suspicion of driving under the influence. Via Fox News:
Unfortunately for Tiger Woods, he may be remembered more for that rough looking mugshot rather than his once legendary golf career. Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.comfrom http://capitalisthq.com/tiger-woods-arrested-in-florida-for-dui/ As I prepared for a recent presentation, I pulled some data from a report my firm had published six months earlier on developments in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, socially responsible investing (SRI), and impact investing. What I found surprised me. UN PRI Signatories and Their Assets under Management (AUM) The above graph shows two data series: The blue line represents the asset managers that have signed on to the United Nations-supported Principles of Responsible Investing (UN PRI), and the green bars display the total assets under management (AUM) held by those firms. In 2006, roughly six firms with a combined $200 billion in AUM were signatories. Ten years later, 60 firms with a total of $14 trillion in global AUM were on board. The chart below, taken from the same report, shows what portion of that $14 trillion is from the United States. Note the significant jump in 2014. US Investment Funds Incorporating ESG Factors The move from $1 trillion in 2012 to over $4 trillion just two years later surprised me — a 300% change as the number of funds grew from around 650 to roughly 800. The most recent data from 2016, which is not shown in the chart, indicates nearly $9 trillion in total assets. The question that struck me when I saw all this: Did all of the asset managers that are now factoring ESG into their investment process shift all $4 trillion in assets the day they signed up with the PRI? The answer, of course, is no. Nothing changed. Not really, anyway. While the move into ESG investing demonstrates greater consciousness on the part of investment managers, the factors themselves are “soft” in their application. As Christopher Scott Peck, Hal Brill, and Michael Kramer observed in The Resilient Investor: “ . . . we recognize that the softer ESG ‘considerations’ approach, while a step in the right direction, is less socially and environmentally impactful than SRI’s traditionally more active approach of designing portfolios and mutual funds to screen out the worst actors and seek out companies charting beneficial new directions.” The stampede of asset managers into ESG over the last four years is reminiscent of another time and another industry. In the 1980s, the emergence of organic farming created an opportunity for food producers to differentiate themselves and their products. Overnight, many farmers started claiming their crops and livestock were “organic.” Not until nearly two decades later, when regulators caught up and standards were put into place, did the term “organic” start to carry real meaning for the consumer. After all, what does it mean if chickens are “free range”? How much “range” does a chicken need to be “free range”? Like organic farming 30 years ago, ESG investing today has gray areas. The problem for ESG asset owners and investors is how to first define their specific ESG objectives and then audit or enforce those objectives under their given mandate. Eliminating tobacco stocks from a portfolio is straightforward enough. Controlling the carbon footprint of a portfolio is a different matter altogether. Holding asset managers accountable to a given set of goals and standards is key. Wherever you stand philosophically, as a practical matter, the ESG movement is here to stay. Those who believe in the double or triple bottom line don’t think there is a conflict between “doing well” and “doing good.” Rather, both objectives — acting socially responsible and supporting investor goals — are not mutually exclusive, but mutually reinforcing. A large body of academic research conducted over the last 30 years backs this up. In “ESG and Financial Performance: Aggregated Evidence from more than 2000 Empirical Studies,” Gunnar Friede, Timo Busch, and Alexander Bassen conduct a meta-analysis of ESG studies since 1979 and conclude that 90% show statistical evidence of a relationship between ESG factors and positive financial results. We are a long way from understanding what distinguishes one ESG manager from another and how we as a society measure the effect of a given ESG portfolio. It’s like trying to differentiate among organic farmers in 1987. But investors, regulators and standards will catch up. If you liked this post, don’t forget to subscribe to the Enterprising Investor. All posts are the opinion of the author. As such, they should not be construed as investment advice, nor do the opinions expressed necessarily reflect the views of CFA Institute or the author’s employer. Image credit: ©Getty Images/Byronsdad Christopher K. Merker, Ph.D., CFAChristopher K. Merker, Ph.D., CFA, is a director with Robert W. Baird & Co. Prior to joining Baird, he ran a successful venture capital incubator in New York’s Silicon Alley. A graduate of the University of Iowa, Merker is an MBA honors graduate from Thunderbird, School of Global Management, and has a Ph.D. in Investment Governance and Fiduciary Effectiveness from Marquette University. He is a past president of the CFA Society Milwaukee and a current board member. An adjunct professor of finance at Marquette University, he is also executive director of Fund Governance Analytics, LLC, a provider of governance research and diagnostic tools for asset owners and institutional investors. from http://capitalisthq.com/the-stampede-into-esg/
from http://capitalisthq.com/i-will-make-my-final-decision-on-the-paris-accord-next-week/ Submitted by Ronan Manly, BullionStar.com Given the very strong price appreciation of Bitcoin recently, Bitcoin holders who are thinking of diversifying or taking some profits on their Bitcoin positions may be interested to know that in addition to transacting in US Dollars, Singapore Dollars, and Euros, BullionStar also accepts Bitcoin as a payment option for its precious metals products, and has done so since May 2014. Bitcoin Price in US Dollars, May 2017 Using the BullionStar website, customers can quickly and efficiently purchase gold bars and gold coins, as well as silver bars and silver coins using Bitcoin. Customers can also sell gold and sell silver to BullionStar and receive settlement proceeds in Bitcoin. The maximum transaction size for a purchase order using Bitcoin is currently set by BullionStar at BTC 200 per transaction. There is no minimum transaction size for a purchase order using Bitcoin. For sell orders that settle in Bitcoin, the standard maximum transaction size is currently 30 BTC per transaction, but this can be higher upon discussion with BullionStar. Bitcoin as a currency is also fully integrated into the BullionStar website. Once you select Bitcoin as the default currency from the Currency drop-down menu at the top right hand side of the BullionStar website homepage, Bitcoin becomes the default transactional currency within the website, and furthermore, all spot prices and associated charts and all product prices on the website will be displayed in terms of BTC. If logged into your Account, your ‘My Vault Balance’ and ‘Cash Balance’ will also be displayed in BTC. Account history and “My Vault Portfolio” are also displayed in BTC once Bitcoin is selected as the default currency option. Buying Gold and Silver using BitcoinTo purchase precious metals on the BullionStar website using Bitcoin: 1, Select Bitcoin in the currency drop-down menu at the upper right hand side of the BullionStar homepage. This will display all product prices in Bitcoin, and will also automatically populate Bitcoin as the default payment method in the online Checkout tool.
Select Bitcoin in the Currency Dropdown menu 2. From the ‘Buy Gold and Silver’ menu option, select the precious metal products you wish to buy. Product prices will be displayed in Bitcoin (BTC). For example, if you are interested in purchasing a PAMP minted 1 ounce gold bar, select ‘Gold Bars’ from the drop-down menu and the price in Bitcoin of a 1 ounce PAMP gold bar will be displayed in BTC, which, at the time of writing was BTC 0.675530.
BullionStar Product Prices displayed in BTC 3. Fill in the quantity of the product you wish to buy. Then click the green “Add to Cart” button to add the selected product to your Shopping Cart. 4. Repeat Step 3 to add other products to your Shopping Cart, or if finished shopping, select the green ‘Checkout’ button towards the top right hand side of the screen. 5. In the subsequent Checkout screen, Bitcoin will appear as the default payment method. Select your preferred ‘Delivery Method’ of either ‘Vault Storage’, ‘Shipping by Courier’, or ‘Personal Collection (Pick-up)’ Checkout Screen with BTC as the default payment option Ensure that the order total is less than or equal the maximum transaction size for a purchase order of BTC 200 per transaction. Fill in your customer information, click the check boxes to indicate that you agree with the Terms and Conditions, and that you agree that the order is binding, then click the “Confirm” button to place your order. 6. After clicking “Confirm”, an order confirmation will appear on the screen. This order confirmation details your order number, the products ordered, the order date, your customer information, and the Bitcoin payment information, i.e. the payment amount in BTC and the unique Bitcoin address to which to send your payment to. An example of a Bitcoin payment amount and a Bitcoin address is shown in the screen below.
Example of Bitcoin payment information on an order Confirmation Your order confirmation is also sent to your email address. Upon placing an order and hitting ‘Confirm’, you have 20 minutes in which to send your Bitcoin payment to the unique Bitcoin address that specified on your order confirmation. 7. As soon as BullionStar has received 6 block confirmations of your Bitcoin payment, which can take anywhere from 20 minutes to a few hours, you will automatically receive a payment confirmation update to your email address. BullionStar will thereafter process your order. For those unfamiliar with the Bitcoin transfer confirmation process, block confirmation is Bitcoin’s way of verifying transactions. When a Bitcoin transaction is made, it is then verified by Bitcoin miners and is grouped with other transactions into a new block on the blockchain, upon which it is confirmed. Then when subsequent blocks are added to the block chain, all previous blocks are reconfirmed, a process which generates additional block confirmations. Generally, merchants and retailers who accept Bitcoin require 6 confirmations to ensure that a transaction has been fully validated. Upon receipt for 6 confirmations, BullionStar will proceed to process your order. Selling Gold and Silver using BitcoinTo sell gold or sell silver on the BullionStar website and receive the proceeds in the form of Bitcoin: 1. Select Bitcoin in the currency drop-down menu at the upper right hand side of the BullionStar homepage. 2. Select the “Sell Gold & Silver to us” option from the main menu. Select the product(s) and quantity you wish to sell. Ensure that the total value of the sell order in BTC is less than or equal to BullionStar's current online maximum transaction size for a sell order of BTC 30 per transaction. (Note: If you would like to place a sell order for an amount larger than BTC 30, please send an e-mail to [email protected] or call +65 6284 4653 to enquire whether we can settle your sell order in Bitcoins.) Enter your customer information. The Payment Instructions box will be defaulted to Bitcoin. In the Bitcoin Address box, enter the Bitcoin address where you want to receive your Bitcoin payment to. Then submit your order by clicking “Confirm”. Bitcoin Sell screen. Payment Instructions defaults to Bitcoin and Bitcoin Address box For more information, see BullionStar's help page "Bitcoin as Payment Option and Currency". To convert Bitcoins to traditional fiat currency, one straightforward option is to use a Bitcoin exchange such as Bitstamp in the USA or FYB-SG in Singapore. The steps to follow would be to open an account with a Bitcoin exchange, transfer your Bitcoins to your account wallet on the Exchange, sell the Bitcoins on the exchange, and then withdraw the proceeds of the sale in a currency such as US Dollars. Those who currently do not hold Bitcoin but who might want to can also open and fund a Bitcoin account with one of the Bitcoin Exchanges, and then buy Bitcoin to hold in their Exchange account. This Bitcoin could then be subsequently used in a transaction on the BullionStar website to buy gold or buy silver. BullionStar Charts: View and Create Bitcoin ChartsNote that historic Bitcoin prices are also available on the BullionStar Charts page, where Bitcoin is listed under the Currencies category along with 18 major currencies. The BullionStar charting tool allows you to chart the price of Bitcoin in terms of other currencies and in terms of precious metals, commodities, major stocks, popular stock indices, and in terms of the prices of BullionStar’s product range. With a Bitcoin price history going back to January 2011, you can use BullionStar charting tools to check and view the price action of Bitcoin over the last 6 and a half years. This article first appeared on the BullionStar website here. from http://capitalisthq.com/how-to-buy-and-sell-gold-and-silver-using-bitcoin/ ON MEMORIAL DAY Troops Need You Launches NEW APP So You Can Help Active Duty Combat Troops (VIDEO)5/29/2017 New App Makes It Easy for Americans to Donate to Combat TroopsThe Gateway Pundit has been a longtime supporter of Troops Need You and its founder Eric Egland. On this Memorial Day we are excited to help Eric announce the Troops Need You phone app.
Troops Need You, the non-profit Eric Egland started ten years ago and runs as a volunteer, recently launched a one-of-a-kind app that makes it extremely easy for combat troops to request mission critical needs, and for Americans to donate money to get those needs. TNY is unique in that fills the gaps where normal supply channels go short. It goes beyond care packages and gets our troops the exact mission essential supplies they need – night vision goggles, infrared hunting cameras, weapons accessories, etc. Memorial Day Challenge: We’ve got a specific mission we’d like to highlight for Memorial Day weekend. It’s a request made on the new app from a special forces unit that is seeking new uniforms. The unit is deployed overseas in an area with reddish-desert terrain. The uniforms the unit was issued are yellow and stand out– compromising their surveillance and sniper missions against ISIS. Now you can help the unit get the uniforms they need. This morning Eric joined America’s Newsroom to discuss the new Troops Need You phone app.from http://capitalisthq.com/on-memorial-day-troops-need-you-launches-new-app-so-you-can-help-active-duty-combat-troops-video/ SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER I. Memorializing the Greatest Generation Memorial Day is the day in which we remember, with solemn gratitude, all those who gave their lives in military service to our country. Elsewhere here at Breitbart News, others have recollected the fallen; as Abraham Lincoln said in eulogizing those who died at Gettysburg in 1863, “It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.” Interestingly, Memorial Day was once known as Decoration Day. After all, it was, and is, the virtuous custom to decorate the graves of the war-dead. And in the name “Decoration Day,” we see something important for the sake of our civic life: the ability of each patriot to offer appropriate honors in his or her own way. That is, with flowers, cards, notes, or perhaps a bit of memorabilia. Today, such personalized displays of devotion are particularly common at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Mall in Washington, DC. Why? Most likely, because that war is relatively recent; plenty of people alive now still feel a close connection to Vietnam-era warriors. Yet the passing of the years has meant that other American wars are rapidly receding from our personal memory. For instance, we might point to World War II. During that conflict, from 1941 to 1945, the population of the US was about 133 million. And yet in 2010, less than 5.5 million Americans were over the age of 85; that is, born in 1925 or earlier. Which is to say, the number of Americans today who could have had any adult participation in the war is small—and rapidly getting smaller, as old age takes its toll. Yes, it’s painful to think that all the heroism of that era is no longer with us, at least not in a personal way. To be sure, there are many museum displays, history books, movies, and TV shows about World War II. And yet still, there’s nothing like the power of a personal reminiscence, as anyone who has ever sat at the knee of a revered elder knows full well. It will indeed, be a sad moment when the last voice from that era is stilled. So the least that each of can do is help to make sure that every one of those vital voices is archived in some form. Moreover, perhaps on this Memorial Day we can recall more of the voices from World War II, reaching beyond the ranks of the heroes who died in uniform. That is, for the sake of the enlarging the historical record, we can recollect some of the memories about those who served, too, on the homefront, namely, in war production. If their personal risk and sacrifices were less than those who fought in battle, their contributions were nonetheless enormous: As Virgil has argued many times, America’s greatest comparative edge in World War II was its industrial production. For instance, in a March 17 piece, “Donald Trump, Rosie the Riveter, and the Revival of American Economic Nationalism,” Virgil took note of President Trump’s speech, two days earlier, recalling the B-24 plant at Willow Run, Michigan. That was the plant that built 9,000 bombers that we used to flatten enemy targets. And that piece brought forth an outpouring of WW2 memories from Breitbart readers, many of them recording what they had heard, over the years, from fathers, mothers, and other loved ones who lived, worked, and fought in that era. Virgil sifted through all the comments, more than 1800 of them; these left him inspired, informed, amused, and, okay, sometimes bemused. For starters, Virgil enjoyed the comments specifically about a key theme of the article, which was war production in World War II; these postings were often from descendants of workers and veterans. Let’s take a look: Reader “MadMen” said simply, “It makes me really miss my grandparents who both worked in those factories.” Meanwhile, reader “NHnative” reported that one family’s inheritance from WW2 includes, to this day, a devotion to sewing:
Reader “Last Ride” recalled a father who is, shall we say, particularly close to the B-24 Liberators made at Willow Run, Michigan, and other parts of the country:
Meanwhile, the legendary Rosie the Riveter received much attention. Reader “Feet2Fire” reminded fellow commenters that there’s plenty to learn about Rosie from the website Diaryofarosie. Yet reader “53Skylark” raised a point of personal privilege—or, more precisely, Pittsburgh privilege—when he asserted:
To which reader “Jonsen” replied:
(As Virgil noted, while the actual Rosie the Riveter worked at Willow Run, the larger story of “Rosie” is complicated: The immortal “We Can Do It!” image does, indeed, come from Pittsburgh. Yet the great artist Norman Rockwell, too, added his own image of Rosie–and his model was from Vermont.) Indeed, Rosie was more than just an individual; she was, and is, an archetype. Reader “TexanForever” recalled:
Or as reader “Sam Houston” put it:
The actual Rosies, of course, are mostly departed by now, which makes commenters wish all the more to savor their memory. As reader “william couch” recalled, “In the early ’70’s, I worked with 2 Rosies. It was @ the plant in Rosecrans, CA.” And reader “Gary Eaker” offered a strong summary lesson:
Of course, Rosie will always live on in spirit. Indeed, as reader “Vypurr” explained, she holds up well: “Rosie had more Moxie and balls than any liberal crybaby Beta male today.” Yes, the Rosies had spunk; reader “backhome1999” recalled this anecdote of female feistiness:
Other commenters compared and contrasted two very different women named Rosie, often adding observations about how things have changed, for the worse, since the 40s. One such was reader “Cindy”:
And speaking of popular culture, reader “chicodon” added:
Indeed, the lyrics to the Glenn Miller song “chicodon” links to, “People Like You And Me,” are stirring:
“Gobs,” we might note, was affectionate slang for “seamen.” At the same time, in that song, the vital work on the homefront was also not forgotten:
Miller, we might recall, joined the US Army during WW2 at the peak of his career—and at age 38. He died on December 15, 1944, when his airplane crashed into the English Channel; he had been preparing the next leg of his famed orchestra’s morale-boosting tour for the troops. Of course, Miller’s sacrifice was common; many celebrities joined the armed services, and many more pitched in—and more than a few died. For his part, reader “Euclid” took note of the visual elements of Virgil’s article, for which the author can claim no credit:
Yes, everyone found a way to pitch in back then; as Trump likes to say, the blood of patriots is all the same color. Without a doubt, we were mostly inspired by patriotism back then, and yet for some, the production effort was personal. Here’s how reader “Katherine” recalled the war work of her grandfather; please note the family-values kicker at the end:
So it’s little wonder that even today, many remember the good work that was done. For instance, reader “Havegunwilltravel” wrote:
Another commenter, reader “Jake Manchester,” added:
Yet in those days, as reader “sally forth” recalled, just about everyone was exceptional:
And yes, Virgil will say it again, a great commander-in-chief led us to victory. As reader “backhome1999” remembers:
Virgil recognizes that not every Breitbart commenter, including reader “Crazycatkid,” is a fan of Franklin D. Roosevelt. And yet we all might recall that his fellow Americans thought so highly of FDR that they elected him to the White House four times; indeed, each of his presidential victories was a landslide. Moreover, the fact that his image has been on the US dime for the last 70 years tells us something about his enduring popularity; even two Republicans, Nancy and Ronald Reagan, revered him. Yet in addition to the warm glow of nostalgia from those days, there’s also the chill pang of loss. Reader “Texan Forever” wrote:
Indeed, we never forget those who gave all. And if personal memories are now flickering out, well, the rest of us will have to step up our game and keep the remembrance going. As reader “HandsomeRogue” added, “It’s our American history. It’s a legacy our Parents/Grand-Parents lived and we have—largely—failed to share.” Those who hear the call to remember our history should, of course, visit grave sites and battlefields. Yet in addition, there are other ways to gain perspective. As reader “WTP1776” noted, “Every year they fly the WWII planes right over my house . . . I love hearing the dishes shake in the cupboard . . . they look so swell.” In fact, learning about the winged marvels that brought victory in WW2 can be fun, as well as informative. As another reader posted:
II. The Task Ahead The point of Virgil’s article was not only to take note of President Trump’s celebration of Rosie and the Greatest Generation, but also to observe that the outlines of an American manufacturing revival—which is to say, a revival of American greatness, including military greatness—can now be seen. And plenty of readers see it, too: Virgil lost track of the number of “MAGAs” scattered through the comments. Yet some Michiganders had a more immediate reaction. For instance, one Michigan reader wrote, “I have seen President Trump mention us in Michigan more (in a good way) in the past 3 months, than my entire life (since 1960).” Yet at the same time, there are lessons for all Americans to learn. For example, one reader connected the success of the national effort during WW2 to earlier American team efforts:
As reader “Vypurr” observed, “Nationalism is what kept America alive in WWII.” And reader “Tiger Kitten” turned that point into a larger sentiment:
Meanwhile, reader “FLGibsonJr” added valuable historical perspective, linking Trump’s ideas on trade today with the American tradition—as described by Virgil—of Alexander Hamilton and Henry Clay:
“FLGibsonJr” continued by urging a fellow commenter not to be seduced by “globalist corporate propaganda.” The free-trade policies stemming from such propaganda, he added, might enrich companies, but they will be “devastating for countries like the United States.” Meanwhile, reader “American Worker’s Warrior” put the matter in even starker terms:
Others added similarly-minded policy prescriptions, connecting past to present. One such was reader “newsies2”:
Today, some are already doing their part. For instance, reader “JRG” has a personalized trade policy:
Still, many commenters made the point that automation will change the factory of the future and factory employment in the future. And this is undoubtedly true. Indeed, some, such as reader “greg,” went out of their way to make the point, sharply, at Virgil’s expense:
To which reader “Jonsen” riposted, “It’s about the can do spirit.” “Jonsen” added, quoting Virgil, “before WWII ‘we had the resources in place.’” And those at-the-ready resources, as Virgil noted, included a quality workforce. As reader “Kris Johnson” wrote of those we’re-all-in-this-together days:
Indeed, as reader “AngelHorseMomMD223” pointed out, even today, labor is still important:
Indeed, the issue of trade came up often in the comments. For instance, reader “MechMan” wrote, “We must be careful not to become anti-free trade. Free trade is a good thing.” To which reader “Mbekos” responded, “There is no free trade, none. Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Germany, all of them had non-tariff ways to win the trade war with US.” And reader “GSR” added, “Free trade can benefit a company, but too much of it can destroy a nation.” Meanwhile, reader “GahD of Socialism,” the name notwithstanding, made a powerful point about capitalism: “When a country has a manufacturing-based economy, it thrives.” Yet at the same time, reader “Franco” added a point that was widely understood in the 40s, and less widely understood today: “Can’t have a manufacturing sector without strong consumption and demand.” That is, people need the money in their pockets to buy the things that are being made; too much concentration of wealth at the top means too little demand for products—and so the economy stalls. Thus reader “Tyler’s” point on the distribution of wealth, then vs. now, deserves to be taken seriously: “During those years CEO and leadership pay was 80 times the median worker. Now it’s 900 times the median worker.” In addition, reader “Gregory Brittain” added another good point about the value of widespread prosperity:
Another reader took note of a line from Virgil’s article, describing corporate culture back then: “A well-paid employee was loyal to a company, and the company, in turn, was loyal to the employee.” Then the reader added a crucial observation about all-too-common corporate practices today:
For his part, reader “Lew Ross” was even more blunt:
Not surprisingly, President Trump figured in many of the comments. Reader “Stella S” posted, “I listened to that speech. It was heartfelt from an American President to American workers.” Or as reader “NYPATRIOT” declared, “Make America Great Again, and the manufacturing powerhouse of the world!” And reader “Buckeye Ken” wrote:
To be sure, Trump had critics, too, among the commenters. One such was reader “Stever Collette,” who jibed: “ALL of Dishonest Donald’s products are made overseas. His hotels and clubs continue to use foreign workers on temp visas.” Okay, in American everyone can have his or her own opinion, and more than a few of those opinions seem to end up in the Breitbart comments section. And reader “ConfidentSpaceman” put all these diverse options into a useful context, saying of this site,“It has become the modern equivalent of the public square.” And so maybe that’s a good place to stop. WW2 was fought, in part, for freedom, and so those who fought—on the battlefront and on the homefront—would be gratified to know that freedom is still a cherished value. Finally, Virgil is grateful to the following readers for their nice comments: “aha!,” “Alexa,” “AngelHorseMomMD223,” “Brick Wilson,” “DesertSun59,” “DJTWILLWIN,” “HandsomeRogue,” “Jake Manchester,” “larry king,” “Lizzy,” “MadMen,” “Marianne,” “NHnative,” “NK210,” “Sam Houston,” “Texan Forever,” and “Tiger184.” And thanks to all the other commenters, too, even those who were not so nice; Virgil learns from all of them. And more to the point, thanks to those who shared their personal histories, the overall canon of American history has thus been enriched. Listen to Breitbart’s Rebecca Mansour discuss this article on Breitbart News Daily on SiriusXM: from http://capitalisthq.com/virgil-on-this-memorial-day-breitbart-readers-remember-and-look-to-the-future/ The US economy is struggling with too much debt at every level. A debt jubilee isn’t going to solve it; and shifting demographics will likely make it worse. So, is America headed for two decades of lost growth like Japan? Dr. Lacy Hunt, who was interviewed by Erik Townsend on the latter's MacroVoices podcast, considers the endgame for the US economy… Well, we could get lucky, Hunt says.
"Irrational behavior" on the part of US policy makers means our economy will grow to increasingly resemble Japan's over the long term…
Hunt notes that there has been important recent work by Allen Taylor, also by a number of people in Europe. There is also work that’s been done historically. For example, the leader of The Enlightenment, David Hume- his famous paper on public finance, written in 1752 reaches the conclusion that:
And there was Irvin Fisher’s 1933 paper on the consequences of extreme over-indebtedness, including pointing out that
Hunt points to an excellent summary was published in 2010 by McKinsey Global Institute…
Moving on, Townsend asks, is the secular bull market in bonds really over?
So, Dr. Hunt explains, the US debt load willl continue to climb and velocity will continue to slow – unless, of couse, "we get lucky." The full interview courtesy of MacroVoices is below: from http://capitalisthq.com/how-does-this-ever-end-an-interview-with-lacy-hunt/ Radio talk show host, author, columnist, and journalist Melanie Morgan and Brian Maloney of Radio Equalizer founded a new political group in support of FOX News television host Sean Hannity. The rapid response group was founded to take a stand against what it calls the “scalping” of conservative hosts. Rumblings of an imminent Hannity departure grew loudly over the weekend and the newly-formed organization is stepping in to let its objections be known. Sean Hannity is expected to make announcements in the next 48-72 hours. Melanie sent out this email request this weekend.
Please do what you can to support this group and share it on social media! from http://capitalisthq.com/urgent-conservative-group-launched-to-defend-sean-hannity-and-battle-organized-leftist-fascism-standwithsean/ |
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December 2017
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