Trump Week in Review

Thursday, June 15, 2017, 10am to 11:30 in the Meeting Room (behind the fireplace)

No matter how hard I try, I cannot ignore Trump. Last week was suppose to be about Infrastructure but Trump's tweets caused problems with the London mayor, his travel ban case, and the Pentagon over Qatar. All this before the Comey testimony. Here are the videos for the meeting:

• Trump's Infrastructure Week
• Week in Review: Comey Chaos
• Trump answers Comey testimony with denials
• Trump Attacks Comey, Makes Cabinet Praise Him
• ‘A Leak Is a Leak’

------------------------------------------ Updated 6/15/17 -----------------------------------------

Here are the other videos shown a the meeting:

• Colbert on Baseball Shooting
• Jeff Sessions in the Senate Hot Seat
• Lawsuit Announced Against Donald Trump For Constitutional Violation
• Donald Trump's conflicts of interest span the globe

Trump Against the World

Thursday, June 8, 2017, 10am to 11:30 in the Meeting Room (behind the fireplace)

A few hours after our last meeting on Thursday, Trump announced that he would pull out of the Paris Climate Accord. This was not a surprise, but the way he did it, the timing and his justification, strengthened the resolve of the opposition. He made his announcement right after he returned from a disastrous trip to Europe, where he alienated fellow members of NATO and the G7. The leaders of Germany and France were already showing their contempt for Trump, and his climate announcement solidified and broadened the opposition. On the following Saturday, in France, India's leader Modi used the previously scheduled trade meeting to show his solidarity with Europe on Climate.

Trump's justification for the withdraw showed that he had no comprehension of what was in the Paris agreement and his position on climate change seemed contradictory. On the following Friday, Trump's handlers refused to comment if Trump no longer thought Climate Change was a hoax. By the weekend, they finally said that Trump believes that the climate is changing and pollution plays a role but elaborated no further. The attempt to make sense out of Trump's nonsense echoes his recent 'covfefe' tweet.

Here is a video by John Oliver which we will use to start the conversation:

• Paris Agreement

If we have time we can ponder the deeper meaning of the word COVFEFE.

----------------------------------- Updated 6/9/17 --------------------------------------------

Here are the other videos shown at the meeting:

• President Trump's First Overseas Trip
• Macron takes a stand against Trump
• France & India Cooperate In Fighting Climate Change
• Corbyn accuses May of 'subservience to Donald Trump'
• Why Theresa May didn't sign letter condemning Donald Trump over Paris Climate agreement

Man vs Machine

Thursday, June 1, 2017, 10am to 11:30 in the Meeting Room (behind the fireplace)

Humankind has suffered another defeat in its battle against machines. Today, Google's AlphaGo swept a three games series against the world's best Go player, Ke Jie. AlphaGo also beat a team of 5 top ranked Go players in an exhibition match. Google has retired AlphaGo from matches with humans, since there is no challenge. HERE is a video which provides historical background, from Chess to Jeopardy to Go. For our next meeting, we will discuss if people are needed anymore. Here are the videos:

• Google's Deep Mind Explained! - Self Learning A.I.
• Watson, Jeopardy and me, the obsolete know-it-all
• The rise of human-computer cooperation
• The Future of Your Job in the Age of AI

Trump Update

Thursday, May 25, 2017, 10am to 11:30 in the Meeting Room (behind the fireplace)

Having avoided Trump for the last two meetings, we now need to take a quick peek in his latest self-generated crisis. Since our last meeting on Trump, he fired FBI director Comey, came close to admitting to obstruction of justice, revealed classified information to the Russians and complained to graduates on how unfairly he was being treated. A special counsel was appointed to oversee the Russia investigation and impeachment seems possible. Here are the videos for the meeting:

• Our Weekly Constitutional Crisis
• Trump Connects Comey Firing to Russia 
• Stupid Watergate

------------------------------------------------- Updated 5/25/17 --------------------------------------------------

Here is the other video shown at the meeting:

• Removal of a President under the 25th Amendment

The Good and Bad News of Clean Energy

Thursday, May 18, 2017, 10am to 11:30 in the Meeting Room (behind the fireplace)

Two weeks ago we talked about how the Trump administration seems to be at war with science, particularly in their denial of climate change. However, it seems that many climate activists are in a denial of their own, that nuclear power is not needed as part of the solution for climate change. While most climate activists are against nuclear power, some activists have changed their mind about nuclear power. 

For our next meeting, we will look at public attitudes toward nuclear power. Here are the videos:

• How fear of nuclear power is hurting the environment
• Robert Stone: "Pandora's Promise"
• Nuclear power for the future?
• We Need A Mix
• Advance Nuclear Power
• Closing Existing Nuclear Plants
• Maryland Renewable Energy Bill

The Coming Marijuana Battle

Thursday, May 11, 2017, 10am to 11:30 in the Meeting Room (behind the fireplace)

The 2016 election continued the trend of marijuana legalization, but the new Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, has threatened a federal crackdown on marijuana in spite of state law. Here are the videos for the meeting:

• John Oliver's Take on Marijuana
• Obama on Marijuana Legalization and Criminalization
• Elizabeth Warren on using marijuana to tackle the opioid crisis
• Maryland's attempt to legalize recreational marijuana
• Marijuana could be legalized in Canada by 2018
• Future Legal Marijuana Business

------------------------------------------ Updated 5/11/17 ---------------------------------------

Here are the other videos shown at the meeting:

• Is Legal Marijuana Threatening Mexican Drug Cartels?
• John Stossel: Legalize All Drugs
• Support for marijuana at an all-time high
• DEA does not reclassify marijuana
• DEA Trolls Us All By Approving Synthetic-Pot

Trump's First 100 Days

Thursday, May 4, 2017, 10am to 11:30 in the Meeting Room (behind the fireplace)

For our next meeting, we will review Trump's first 100 days. Here are the videos:

• Tapper compares Trump's plans to his actions
• A brief look at Donald Trump's first 100 days in office
• President Trump's first 100 days met by praise and protests
• Hasan Minhaj at the WHCD

------------------------------------------- Updated 5/4/17 -------------------------------------------------

Here are the other videos shown at the meeting:

• This Monologue Goes Out To You, Mr. President
• The Fyre Festival