Tuesday, September 6, 2022

And another day of supposed to be closely guarded documents, half of Americans will have an election denier on the ballot, Politico embraces the dark side, MT Rs hijacking public health, and why do forests make us happy comes to a close:

"Two of the hallmarks of a fascist political party are, one, they don't accept the results of elections that don't go their way, and two, they embrace political violence. And I think that's why President Biden was right to sound the alarm this week." — Jamie Raskin

Deaths

US: 1,073,295

World: 6,507,033

Cases

US: 96,716,573

World: 611,332,790

Material on foreign nation’s nuclear capabilities seized at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago. A document describing a foreign government’s military defenses, including its nuclear capabilities, was found by FBI agents who searched former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and private club last month, according to people familiar with the matter, underscoring concerns among U.S. intelligence officials about classified material stashed in the Florida property. Some of the seized documents detail top-secret U.S. operations so closely guarded that many senior national security officials are kept in the dark about them. Only the president, some members of his Cabinet or a near-Cabinet-level official could authorize other government officials to know details of these special-access programs...Documents about such highly classified operations require special clearances on a need-to-know basis, not just top-secret clearance. Some special-access programs can have as few as a couple dozen government personnel authorized to know of an operation’s existence. Records that deal with such programs are kept under lock and key, almost always in a secure compartmented information facility, with a designated control officer to keep careful tabs on their location. But such documents were stored at Mar-a-Lago, with uncertain security, more than 18 months after Trump left the White House. -- Why is Trump still walking around freely?

More Than 1 In 2 Americans Will Have An Election Denier On The Ballot This Fall. Out of 529 total Republican nominees running for office, we found 195 who FULLY DENIED the legitimacy of the 2020 election. These candidates either clearly stated that the election was stolen from Trump or took legal action to overturn the results, such as voting not to certify election results or joining lawsuits that sought to overturn the election. Moreover, an additional 61 candidates RAISED QUESTIONS around the results of the 2020 election. These candidates haven’t gone so far as to say explicitly that the election was stolen or take legal action to overturn it. However, they haven’t said the election was legitimate either. In fact, they have raised doubts about potential fraud. There were 115 candidates whose position on the 2020 election we could not determine. They either had NO COMMENT on the 2020 election or AVOIDED ANSWERING when asked directly…Indeed, an election denier winning election and taking office is more than a symbolic concern. An election-denying secretary of state could refuse to certify an election that he or she believes was rigged. An election-denying governor could attempt to submit electoral votes that defy the will of the people. And election-denying senators and representatives could vote to count those electoral votes. The 2022 election will determine how many of these candidates get that chance.

Politico’s New Owner Invited Colleagues to ‘Pray’ for Trump’s Re-Election. When asked about the message, Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner initially denied it existed, going so far as to say: “It has never been sent and has never been even imagined.” Then he was confronted with a printout of the email. — Another media source embraces the fascist MAGA Republican Party.

“The Human Psyche Was Not Built for This.” How Republicans in Montana hijacked public health and brought a hospital to the brink. — Trumpies destroy everything that helps the general population.

Canadian police continue to search for mass killing suspect and urge caution. Residents of Canada's Saskatchewan province were urged to stay cautious Tuesday as one of two suspects in Sunday's mass killing remained at large.

Large parts of Amazon may never recover, major study says. Environmental destruction in parts of the Amazon is so complete that swathes of the rainforest have reached tipping point and might never be able to recover, a major study carried out by scientists and Indigenous organisations has found. “The tipping point is not a future scenario but rather a stage already present in some areas of the region,” the report concludes.

Scientists are unlocking secrets of why forests make us happy. Numerous scientific studies reveal the physiological and psychological benefits of time spent among trees, but there is not yet an understanding of how different kinds of treescape affect us. Research has shown that more biodiverse landscapes bring more mental and physical benefits to people and Richardson suspects that well-being will be enhanced more by wildlife-rich ancient woodlands than monocultural plantation forestry.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Stay safe and stay sane. Good night.