The following is a rundown of the day’s news drawn from other media sources with topics curated just for Money and Markets readers: personal security and freedom, climate change, Iran nuclear deal
Personal Security and Freedom
Oliver Stone: Obama’s “Lack of Spine” is Stunning
“Something happened because none of the things he promised: transparency, a government that would reconsider the war on terror and these programs . . . none of that happened, none of it,” said Stone. “The man stunned us with a lack of spine,” the director added. “He is a weak man.”
Snowden’s Lawyer Interrogated and Harassed at London Airport
“When a government subjects the attorney for a political defendant such as Edward Snowden to intimidation and harassment, then in practice, that government infringes the right to counsel,” said Bea Edwards, GAP executive director.
Outgoing NSA Director: ‘It’s Not Our Mission’ to Spy on Everyone in the World
NSA analysts have searched for information on fewer than 300 phone numbers in the telephone database and only 35 NSA analysts can actually look at the metadata, General Keith Alexander, who is retiring as NSA director next month, said.
Angela Merkel Backs EU Internet to Deter US Spying
“We’ll talk with France about how we can maintain a high level of data protection,” Ms Merkel said in her weekly podcast. “Above all, we’ll talk with European providers that offer security for our citizens, so that one shouldn’t have to send emails and other information across the Atlantic.”
Hillary Clinton Skirts Surveillance Fight
it’s not clear how long she can keep up the silent treatment: As she mulls a bid for the White House in 2016, she’s beginning to face pressure to outline her views on the surveillance issue more clearly.
Climate Change
Chart: Antarctic Sea Ice Extent 25% above normal
“That’s not supposed to happen! I haven’t shrunk my carbon footprint yet. I’m sure this must be a mistake. After all, all those scientists and Al Gore just couldn’t be wrong about how mankind is destroying their own planet.”, a commenter said.
John Kerry Calls ‘Global Warming as Big a Threat as Terrorism’
“We’ve seen here in Asia how extreme weather events can disrupt world trade,” Kerry said to an audience of Indonesian students and business leaders. “In today’s globalized economy, the entire world feels it.”
Kerry Generates 12 Tons of CO2 on Trip Discussing Climate Change
In case you’re wondering, flying first class from Washington to Seoul to Beijing to Jakarta to Abu Dhabi and then back to Washington runs up roughly 12.16 metric tons of carbon dioxide. The average American generates about 19 tons of carbon dioxide in a year.
Science Linking Drought to Global Warming Disputed
Although Obama directly blamed global warming for the California draught season, there is no scientific consensus yet that it is a worldwide phenomenon. Nor is there definitive evidence that it is causing California’s problems.
Obama Plays Water-Guzzling Desert Golf Courses Amid California Drought
President Barack Obama traveled to California to highlight the state’s drought emergency, calling for shared sacrifice to help manage the state’s worst water shortage in decades. He then spent the rest of the weekend enjoying the hospitality of some of the state’s top water hogs: desert golf courses.
Iran Nuclear Deal
Iran Official: America has Surrendered to the Will of the Islamic Republic
“Today America has accepted that Iran has the right to enrichment, and a simple analysis of this fact is that America has surrendered to the will of the Islamic Republic”, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, chairman of the foreign policy and national security committee of the Iranian parliament said.
Iran Seeks New Russian Reactor in Exchange for Oil
Iran’s ambassador to Moscow on Monday said Russia could build the Islamic republic a second nuclear power reactor under a proposed oil-for-goods swap that has raised grave concern in Washington.
Israel Prime Minister: Iran Only Winner from Nuclear Talks
“Iran is continuing its aggressive behaviour: arming terrorist groups, supporting the massacre of his own people by the Assad regime (in Syria), calling for the destruction of Israel and subversive activities all over the world, including Latin America.”
Best wishes,
The Money and Markets Team
