Welcome to The Breakfast Club! We’re a disorganized group of rebel lefties who hang out and chat if and when we’re not too hungover we’ve been bailed out we’re not too exhausted from last night’s (CENSORED) the caffeine kicks in. Join us every weekday morning at 9am (ET) and weekend morning at 10:30am (ET) to talk about current news and our boring lives and to make fun of LaEscapee! If we are ever running late, it’s PhilJD’s fault.
This Day in History
An armistice ends the Korean War; A House panel votes to impeach President Richard Nixon; A pipe bomb explodes at the Atlanta Olympics; The deposed Shah of Iran and comedian Bob Hope die.
Breakfast Tunes
Something to Think about over Coffee Prozac
I am pretty fearless, and you know why? Because I don’t handle fear very well; I’m not a good terrified person.
Stupid Shit by LaEscapee
Breakfast News
With nuclear deal done, Iran sets out to reassure wary Gulf Arabs
Iran’s foreign minister called on Sunday for a united front among Middle Eastern nations to fight militancy, in his first regional trip since Iran reached an agreement with world powers on the country’s nuclear program – an agreement that raised fears among its Gulf Arab neighbors.
“Any threat to one country is a threat to all … No country can solve regional problems without the help of others,” Mohammad Javad Zarif said at a news conference hosted by the Iranian embassy in Kuwait.
Zarif earlier met Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah and Kuwait’s foreign minister, Sheikh Sabah al-Khaled al-Sabah, who was not present at the news conference.
Greece rocked by reports of secret plan to raid banks for drachma return
Some members of Greece’s leftist-led government wanted to raid central bank reserves and hack taxpayer accounts to prepare a return to the drachma, according to reports that highlighted the chaos in the ruling Syriza party.
It is not clear how seriously the government considered the plans, attributed to former energy minister Panagiotis Lafazanis and ex-finance minister Yanis Varoufakis. Both ministers were sacked this month. However, the revelations have been seized on by opposition parties who are demanding an explanation.
Cuba tones down anti-U.S. rhetoric on revolution’s main holiday
Cuban leaders pledged to keep socialism alive but toned down the anti-U.S. rhetoric at Cuba’s first national holiday since re-establishing diplomatic relations with the United States on July 20.
Sunday marked the 62nd anniversary of the first offensive by Fidel Castro’s guerrillas against the army of U.S.-backed leader Fulgencio Batista in 1953, starting a rebellion that brought down Batista more than five years later.
The most important holiday on Cuba’s revolutionary calendar, Sunday’s celebration featured artistic performances and patriotic speeches.
Barges temporarily banned from passing through Cairo after Nile boat collision
Nile barges will be banned from passing through Cairo from sunset to sunrise until the end of September, according to a Sunday decree by Egyptian Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab.
Mahlab also ordered a halt to issuing new licenses for marine and Nile cargo, as well prohibiting the use of loud music amplifiers used by passenger boats, reported al-Ahram Arabic news website.
The decisions were made during a meeting early Sunday attended by Mahlab, the ministers of transport, environment, irrigation, interior and justice to review legislation applicable to management of the Nile River, after a chartered boat with 35 passengers capsized after it collided with a cargo ship near al-Warraq district in Giza Wednesday.
Loretta Lynch Says Sandra Bland’s Death Highlights Black Community’s Concerns About Police
Black activist Sandra Bland’s recent death in a Texas jail after a confrontational traffic stop emphasizes why many black Americans worry about interacting with police, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said in an interview that aired Sunday. Authorities allege Bland committed suicide in custody July 13, three days after an officer stopped her for not using a turn signal while changing lanes.
“We have a situation where many minority communities for so long have felt that law enforcement was coming in essentially to enforce laws against them, not to protect them,” Lynch said on ABC’s “This Week.” “I think that it highlights the concern of many in the black community that a routine stop for many of the members of the black community is not handled with the same professionalism and courtesy that other people may get from the police.”
Lafayette shooting: those who knew John Houser say they aren’t surprised
The end of John Russell Houser’s journey is well known. On Thursday night, he shot several people, killing two and injuring nine, in a Louisiana movie theater. He then killed himself. But his journey – his drift – started here, on the banks of the Chattahoochee river.
Houser was never a quiet, friendly sort. People who knew him do not express shock at what he did. He left a trail of behavior so strange – so “nutty”, as one old acquaintance called it – that Thursday’s shooting in Lafayette comes to seem more inevitable than shocking.
Two towns straddle the river here, and they could not be more opposite. On the Georgia side, Columbus is genteel and mannered, with old mansions on manicured hills. On the Alabama side sits Phenix City, which was known for a time as the “wickedest city in America”. Together they embody Houser’s life, beginning to end.
Attacker slain by West Virginia woman may have been interstate serial killer
When a woman in Charleston, West Virginia, opened her front door to greet a stranger she had arranged to meet through an escort ad she had placed with Backpage.com, she knew instantly she was in mortal danger. The man said just three words – “Live or die” – then held a gun to her stomach.
That was the start of 10 minutes of unadulterated horror. The man grabbed the woman by the throat and dragged her around the house, until in a rush of pure adrenaline and an effort for self-preservation, she snatched up his gun and shot once, killing him. [..]
Police now believe that the woman, who has not been named to spare further trauma, not only saved her own life but may have prevented the deaths of countless other women in future. They are actively investigating the possibility that Falls could have been a serial killer who operated across several states.
Verizon workers vote to back strike in contract dispute, if necessary
Verizon workers in nine states have voted to go on strike if necessary over a dispute about a new contract, a union official said at a rally Saturday.
“Our members are clear and they are determined,” said Dennis Trainor, an official with the Communications Workers of America union. “They reject management’s harsh concessionary demands.”
At the rally in New York, the CWA announced that 86 percent of Verizon workers who voted in a recent poll backed strike action if required. A contract that covers 39,000 workers represented by the CWA and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers expires at midnight on 1 August.
Fiat Chrysler faces $105m fine as US says automaker violated laws in recalls
The US government will hit Fiat Chrysler with a record $105m fine next week for violating laws in a series of vehicle safety recalls, a person briefed on the matter said.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will reveal the fine on Monday. In addition, Fiat Chrysler will be required to buy back a group of recalled vehicles to get them off the roads, said the person, who didn’t want to be identified because no official announcement has been made.
Fiat Chrysler, also known as FCA US LLC, also will agree to an independent monitor to review recalls.
Satanists unveil sculpture in Detroit after rejection at Oklahoma capitol
A Satanic organisation unveiled a controversial bronze Baphomet sculpture in Detroit just before midnight on Saturday, after trying in vain to have it installed near a Ten Commandments monument in Oklahoma.
Due to planned demonstrations, the group, which is opposed to Bible-themed displays on government land, kept the location of the unveiling of its nine-foot-tall monument secret until the last moment, when it emailed the information to ticket holders.
The Satanic Temple unveiled the one-ton statue at an industrial building near the Detroit River just before 11.30pm local time as supporters cheered: “Hail Satan.” Some of the hundreds in attendance rushed to pose for photos.
Chris Froome wins second Tour de France title after final stage procession
Chris Froome sealed his second Tour de France after a rain-affected final stage was won by André Greipel in a sprint on the Champs-Élysées. Froome crossed the line shortly afterwards wearing the yellow jersey arm-in-arm with his Team Sky team-mates.
The final stage was effectively a procession, with Froome enjoying a customary glass of champagne on his bike with around 100km to go. Froome was officially declared the winner of this year’s Tour when the riders came into Paris for the first time, before they embarked on the first of their 10 laps of the Champs-Élysées after the finish was neutralised due to bad weather.
Phillies’ Cole Hamels throws first no-hitter against Cubs in 50 years
The scouts packed the seats behind home plate, and Cole Hamels put on quite a show. The lanky left-hander was dominant on a picturesque afternoon at Wrigley Field.
Hamels struck out 13 in baseball’s third no-hitter of the season, leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 5-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday in what might be his final start for the ball club. The 2008 World Series MVP has been mentioned prominently in trade talks as the 31 July deadline approaches.
F1: Sebastian Vettel capitalises on poor Mercedes start to win in Hungary
After the superlative show at Silverstone, Formula One pulled off a double-header with another heart-stopper of a race in Hungary. Sebastian Vettel took his first win at the Hungaroring but only after an incident-packed ride that has, coming straight after the British Grand Prix, given the sport a burst of adrenaline.
What turned into a thriller started on a sombre note. There was a minute’s silence before the race in honour of Jules Bianchi, who died 10 days ago as a result of injuries sustained in an accident at last October’s Japanese Grand Prix. Bernie Ecclestone had flown the driver’s family on a private jet from Nice as the sport comes to terms with the first on-track driver fatality since 1994. The drivers stood in a circle on the grid, with the Frenchman’s relatives, in remembrance.
Vettel, who had been a pallbearer at Bianchi’s funeral, and the other podium finishers, Red Bull’s Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo, dedicated their races to his memory. But they had an awful lot of work to do before they could climb the steps.
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Must Read Blog Posts
Our Definitions of National Security Crimes Are Fucked emptywheel aka Marcy Wheeler, emptywheel
Was Chrysler’s Vehicle Hacking Risk an SEC Disclosure Reportable Event? Rayne, emptywheel
Greece’s Drachma Drama: Why Planning Is Too Important to be Left to Economists Lambert Strether of Corrente, naked capitalism
Declarations of Dependence: A New e-Book on the Nation-Subjugating “Trade Deals” Joe Fireston aka letsgetitdone, New Economic Perspectives
Hillary’s capital gains proposal is the right idea in the wrong direction Jon Green, AMERICAblog
Feds indict former Georgia deputy sheriff for her role in botched SWAT raid that maimed toddler Crane-Station, FDL
The Israel Lobby’s $50M Campaign Against The Iran Nuclear Deal CTuttle, FDL
Oil And Gas Lobbyists Are Supporting Hillary Clinton’s Campaign Brandon Jordan, FDL
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Your Moment of Zen
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