Tues Blogcast

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One More Thing: Murder in Manhattan

Manhattan office building shooting: What to know about NYC attack that killed 4

A man who apparently has a history of mental health problems drove from Nevada to New York (apparently almost without stopping), entered a major office building (big enough that it has its own ZIP Code) in Manhattan, killed four people including a female police officer whom he shot in the back, and then (again apparently) killed himself.

So far no motive is definitively known though there might be a clue in his specific destination. The floor of the building that he went to houses the real estate firm that owns the building and not some of the building’s more famous tenants like KPMG or, the more likely target, the NFL.

UPDATE: Mayor says gunman was targeting NFL headquarters | AP News

The shooter was apparently a fairly good high school running back in Los Angeles and ESPN reports that the shooter “had a three-page note with him claiming that he suffered from CTE and asking that his brain be studied.” (That would be more difficult if he shot himself in the head.)

NFL employee seriously injured in deadly shooting at tower housing league’s HQ – ESPN

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If they do this, it’ll be interesting to see how Democrats perform when they have to cut spending: Preparations for special session in Colorado underway | News | coloradopolitics.com

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Without getting too much into the deals, here’s my guess: Almost none of these huge numbers that America’s trading partners are saying they’ll spend on US goods or invest in the US will happen the way the Trump administration is claiming. In some circumstances it’s because the levels are almost impossible and in other circumstances it’s because they will play out over such a long period of time that as soon as there’s a president who disagrees with our abuse of our trading partners (which is not to say they don’t also abuse us in similar or other ways), those countries (or the EU) will stop even pretending to comply with those terms. Also, these deals seem consistently to be about Trump announcing 1) a tariff and 2) big investments or spending in the US, but rarely with other details. The details matter and we’ll see what they actually say but the bottom line is that the primary winner in these arguments is Trump and the primary loser is the rest of the world including US consumers.

Trump’s “devil in the details” trade deals sow confusion

Ugh: Drug prices likely to rise with tariffs on EU

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First, I think they will raise plenty more in donations in rich areas, but will face challenges getting enough local donations in rural areas; wealthy non-profits might help. Second, as noted in this article, they won’t stop trying to get government to come back and fund them again. There is something of a tension between those things because to the extent that they have success in raising funding without government, they show that government funding isn’t necessary.

NPR Trying To Attain ‘Sustainability’ After Cuts. | Story | insideradio.com

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A couple of things I didn’t get to in recent shows:

Worth a read: What I learned from my first pack burro race, Colorado’s only indigenous sport

From the “tell me something I don’t know” files:“Hidden” home ownership costs Coloradans thousands – Axios Denver

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I find this interesting: CEO departures hit record high, interim leaders on the rise – Denver Business Journal

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Don’t get fooled: Scammers are posting fake QR codes on Denver parking signs

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In politics, as in sports, it’s important to remember to look at both sides before making a prediction. For example, even a bad team can occasionally win a game against a good team and, more relevant for this conversation, even a bad team that is an underdog against most other teams can be a favorite against one of the few worse teams.

That’s why it’s a mistake for Democrats to take great solace in Donald Trump’s slightly (and only slightly) declining poll numbers. Because Dems’ numbers are MUCH worse. (I’d offer the same caution to the GOP, though. It’s not as if you’re popular; just, for now, less unpopular than the other guys.)

Why Trump’s approval rating is so steady: AP-NORC polling | AP News

Exclusive | Democrats Get Lowest Rating From Voters in 35 Years, WSJ Poll Finds – WSJ

Democrats tumble in new poll – POLITICO

CO Health Policy at a Crossroads: Growth, Costs & Consequences

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