Disasters, real and political

Posted on October 4, 2016 by Steve McGookin

As Hurricane Matthew heads for Haiti and Jamaica amid warnings of “catastrophic damage”, southern coastal states in the US are also preparing.

Hurricane Matthew nears Haiti packing winds of 145mph https://t.co/9VLposR7Ou

— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 4, 2016

A look at the surface wind field from #Matthew and Hurricane Warnings (red) as of 5am pic.twitter.com/rsORlfvlDG

— Jim Cantore (@JimCantore) October 4, 2016

Hurricane Matthew: flooding hits Jamaica and Haiti as storm approaches https://t.co/vIfhERwr5h

— The Guardian (@guardian) October 4, 2016

Hurricane Matthew shifts closer to Florida, forecast says. https://t.co/lJF78BNndI

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) October 4, 2016

FL Gov. declares state of emergency ahead of Hurricane Matthew. NC Gov. declares state of emergency for 66 counties. https://t.co/jnTKOxaIVG pic.twitter.com/toh0xIGXIo

— ABC News (@ABC) October 4, 2016

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WORLD

Meanwhile, wildfires spread in Colorado.

More than 1,200 residents of Pueblo County, Colo., evacuate their homes as wildfire grows to more than 3,000 acres. https://t.co/w90lLtfekb pic.twitter.com/2RxnwJff36

— ABC News (@ABC) October 4, 2016

In the US, the IMF is gathering and there’s a vice-presidential debate tonight.

World leaders are meeting in DC this week and they're facing an existential threat. https://t.co/JMYwlq4ANY

— Joe Weisenthal (@TheStalwart) October 4, 2016

Do Vice Presidential debates ever matter? Nah: https://t.co/aGM8zTWjwd pic.twitter.com/r7tMB4Uzgu

— Slate (@Slate) October 4, 2016

Mike Pence is a coward and an extremist. He’s the perfect face of the GOP. https://t.co/nR4lw8ikRb pic.twitter.com/L12v7XHXxr

— Slate (@Slate) October 4, 2016

“He mocks the disabled! He abuses Gold Star families! He invites Russia to disrupt our elections! His wife plagiarizes Michelle Obama! Fun!" https://t.co/UzPsFX62fu

— David Frum (@davidfrum) October 4, 2016

sigh..

Indiana town in uproar after parade float depicts Trump executing Hillary Clinton in electric chair https://t.co/onQZjMWP93 pic.twitter.com/doe6QYzljq

— Raw Story (@RawStory) October 4, 2016

Meanwhile, a kerfuffle in the New Hampshire senate race..

Quite the cleanup in aisle 9 https://t.co/UL7itPCV5K

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) October 4, 2016

What does it say re Trump that a sitting senator of his own Party has to clarify she mis-spoke when she called him a role-model for kids. 😱😱 https://t.co/tKlL4qZrN7

— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) October 4, 2016

In real disasters, as opposed to political disasters, it’s just another bloody day in Syria, FFS…

Largest hospital in rebel-held Aleppo ‘completely destroyed’ https://t.co/uYhp6ItjD0

— The Independent (@Independent) October 4, 2016

The Conservative Party conference continues in Birmingham ..

https://twitter.com/PaulGivan4004BC/status/783239034357374977

https://twitter.com/MichaelPDeacon/status/783233970930671616

And I am working on how to saw my legs off without damaging my ability to walk https://t.co/feebQknNFc

— Steve Peers (@StevePeers) October 3, 2016

Brexit Britain: where we throw out highly-trained individuals who have literally saved our lives. Beyond depressing. https://t.co/ywB5UXPTZk

— Sathnam Sanghera (@Sathnam) October 4, 2016

Gormless, chinless, humorless…

The perils of addressing the morning session… Andrew RT Davies tells conference: "We will make breakfast a success" #CPC16 pic.twitter.com/LM7DX56j5w

— Esther Webber (@estwebber) October 4, 2016

The Killers are playing in the #cpc16 hall. What is the more pointless statement?

— Jamie Ross (@JamieRoss7) October 4, 2016

At least someone has the good sense to push back at the insanity. Now where could that be…

BBC News – Brexit: NI legal challenge to UK leaving EU under way https://t.co/ujKjc0xAkJ

— Mark Devenport (@markdevenport) October 4, 2016

And a sad reminder today that words have consequences…

#Breaking Jo Cox murder suspect Thomas Mair refuses to enter plea at start of trial. Full story here https://t.co/vvP0hUEyId

— TalkTV (@TalkTV) October 4, 2016

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BUSINESS

Damn that ‘project fear’. https://t.co/AyfCkkRLUN

— Prof Paul Bernal (@PaulbernalUK) October 4, 2016

Good chart from @JoelLewin on biggest FTSE 250 risers year-to-date.Domestic-focused companies dropping, cos with operations overseas rising pic.twitter.com/8mw3WO9sNp

— Nathalie Thomas (@NathalieThomas3) October 4, 2016

UBS on sterling.
"A similar pattern [to 2008] may be unfolding now." pic.twitter.com/gaJmTGAls4

— Katie Martin (@katie_martin_fx) October 4, 2016

and, structurally,

Big unintended consequences of concentrating wealth in one generation, Me for BBC https://t.co/uxkpeo8UgO pic.twitter.com/fmgLUSlxBB

— Paul Johnson (@PJTheEconomist) October 4, 2016

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IN GOOD NEWS

Three scientists from U.S. universities awarded Nobel Prize in Physics for revealing "secrets of exotic matter" https://t.co/JqXQEkMbQj

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 4, 2016

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SPORTS

The Premier League has its first American manager, coach, whatever you call it. Not everyone’s happy.

Chris Sutton doesn't agree with Swansea's choice of new manager

More here: https://t.co/uoSdDCwcUu pic.twitter.com/O1sZ3IEECk

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) October 4, 2016

They should have stuck to golf.

Australians arrested for stripping at an F1 race in Malaysia could face charges https://t.co/ryKRIwg7S0

— TIME (@TIME) October 4, 2016

Wheels may be – finally – coming off Trump Train

Posted on October 3, 2016 by Steve McGookin

Update 6.40 pm London:

What a day. Or, as someone somewhere is undoubtedly saying right now, what a motherf*cking day.

New York attorney general orders Trump Foundation to stop soliciting in state https://t.co/gm9TWPPTeD

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 3, 2016

Such irony in draft-dodger @realDonaldTrump, a deeply fragile man, asserting that vets with PTSD aren't strong.https://t.co/L6htzVC1lA via

— Evan McMullin 🇺🇸 (@EvanMcMullin) October 3, 2016

October 3, 2016:

· Trump says vets with PTSD "can't handle it"
· Trump Foundation ordered to cease and desist

This is all before 1 p.m.

— Ryan Beckler (@RyanBeckler) October 3, 2016

and that’s not all…

Newsweek reports Donald Trump purchased his construction project steel & aluminum from China; not from US producers: https://t.co/v5l4W4G96W

— Politics1.com (@Politics1com) October 3, 2016

"Apprentice" cast and crew members drop bombshell allegations against Trump: https://t.co/S8tj6OyZ36 pic.twitter.com/DU1ICXmJg8

— The Hill (@thehill) October 3, 2016

Earlier (and it feels like *waaaay* earlier…):

It’s hard to know where to start to list the hits Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has taken over the past few days. It’s certainly his “worst week” since his last “worst week.” Suffice to say, Alec Baldwin’s withering portrayal of the candidate on Saturday Night Live might be the least of his troubles.

Today's A1: After a week of self-sabotage, Trump is scrambling to resuscitate his candidacy. Here's how https://t.co/r8ENSqgDR9

— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) October 3, 2016

Don't miss the definitive account of Trump's off-script, rambling speech Sat night in Manheim, Pa., by @wpjenna https://t.co/IJbtorTe3j

— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) October 3, 2016

What's truly damaging about NYT tax story is that Trump lost nearly $1B in a year — and profited from it https://t.co/9sRcOll9FA

— Mark Murray (@mmurraypolitics) October 3, 2016

https://twitter.com/TheFix/status/783009054050357249

finally the key experts on trump taxes are weighing in pic.twitter.com/Xidip2XhKM

— John Whitehouse (@existentialfish) October 3, 2016

https://twitter.com/dabeard/status/782921186313400320

This is a great thing to be worrying about in regards to your chosen candidate on Oct 3 of an election year: pic.twitter.com/I3vcIZY6ir

— Adam Sternbergh (@sternbergh) October 3, 2016

The pseudonymous Twitter account is the white hood of our times. https://t.co/KrKYfkQE4V

— jimrutenberg (@jimrutenberg) October 3, 2016

Watch Alec Baldwin’s Trump and Kate McKinnon’s Clinton debate in the SNL season opener: https://t.co/MnIRlu3Zr8 pic.twitter.com/B8brVdvSJL

— Slate (@Slate) October 3, 2016

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WORLD

But hey, the wheels seem to be coming off all over the place…

Britain is to begin the process of formally withdrawing from the EU by March next year, Prime Minister Theresa May told the Conservative Party conference.

Britain starts #Brexit; now so might banks @gfhay https://t.co/62i6PkANVa

— Reuters Breakingviews (@Breakingviews) October 3, 2016

Philip Hammond to drop pledge for budget surplus by 2020 as he vows to 'reset' UK's post-#Brexit economy https://t.co/VCzWgHKxJ4

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) October 3, 2016

Pound index drops beyond post-Brexit low on May's speech https://t.co/SCE2yTeyz9 pic.twitter.com/AIsrJBRqpl

— Bloomberg (@business) October 3, 2016

Sturgeon says May does not care about Scotland over #Brexit : https://t.co/NMXLsZq8S7 pic.twitter.com/icnkRLU6Tq

— Reuters UK (@ReutersUK) October 3, 2016

Brexit: NI will be 'collateral damage' says Martin McGuinness https://t.co/5FXfGJS4va

— BBC Newsline (@bbcnewsline) October 3, 2016

Blessed are the jam-makers. At least they will preserve us…

The trade department thinks France needs jam from Britain and now we have #innovativejam https://t.co/meuLIrx9yu

— The Independent (@Independent) October 3, 2016

In other global referendum-related news…

Anti-migration vote in Hungary declared invalid due to low turnout https://t.co/9pHYxvqHao

— CNBC (@CNBC) October 3, 2016

Wow. Colombians voted to reject the deal ending the war with FARC. The vote was 50.21% to 49.78%. https://t.co/p3y0ak6IB5

— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) October 3, 2016

The populist backlash visited Colombia this weekend. https://t.co/oh8pX2BHcU

— Matthew Continetti (@continetti) October 3, 2016

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BUSINESS

Revealed: MRSA variant found in British pork at Asda and Sainsbury's https://t.co/RnM4bQlpgS

— Paul Johnson (@paul__johnson) October 3, 2016

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MEDIA

#ICYMI Inside Rolling Stone’s international ambitions https://t.co/s0xyACQzqm

— Poynter (@Poynter) October 3, 2016

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SPORTS

Lucky it wasn’t a spelling bee…

For the first time since 2008, the U.S. can finally claim golf superirority over Europe https://t.co/IEyFAgrT00 🔓

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) October 3, 2016

The U.S. Ryder Cup team has a message for the European team pic.twitter.com/sgJBCl7R7R #RyderCupChamps 🇺🇸

— Shooter McGavin (@ShooterMcGavin_) October 2, 2016

Danny Willett has defended his brother saying he was correct in his pre-Ryder Cup criticism of American golf fanshttps://t.co/XCVtPvNmtd pic.twitter.com/mXEnZ4uoVH

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) October 3, 2016

The Overnight Note

Another day, another deadline

Monthly Archives: October 2016

Disasters, real and political

Wheels may be – finally – coming off Trump Train