10 Weekend Reads

The weekend is here! Pour yourself a mug of Mocha Java coffee, grab a seat by the pool, and get ready for our longer form weekend reads: a Discuss : The End is Near for the Economic Boom: Growth will slow. The bull market will expire.

Kentucky governor downplays effect of EU tariffs on bourbon

In comments at odds with his home state's whiskey distillers, Kentucky's Republican governor is downplaying fears that the European Union's retaliatory tariffs could disrupt the booming market for the Bluegrass state's iconic bourbon industry. "There's always the potential for some type of impact, but I don't think it will be a tremendous impact," Gov. Matt Bevin said when asked about tariffs during a TV interview this week with Bloomberg.

Wait, What? Matthews Compares Republicans to Jonestown Followers, North Korean Soldiers

A day after MSNBC's Hardball host Chris Matthews called out President Trump for "coming out like a kiss butt" in dealing with North Korea's Kim Jong-un, the liberal pundit reveled on Wednesday in comparing Republicans to North Korean soldiers and comments by Tennessee Republican Senator Bob Corker that GOPers are part of a "cult" for enthusiastically backing President. Not surprisingly, Matthews seemed a little confused about whether to make the Republican comparison to those who committed mass suicide in Jonestown by first ruling at 7:21 p.m. Eastern that "Corker's not exactly a bomb thrower and he's not comparing this guy to James Jones and drinking the kool-aid and cults and that's pretty deep."

Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz stepping down

Starbucks Corp. says Howard Schultz is stepping down as executive chairman this month of the coffee chain he joined more than 30 years ago. Schultz, who oversaw the transformation of Starbucks into a global chain with more than 28,000 locations, had left the CEO job at the company last year to focus on innovation and social impact projects.

U.S. Takes Action Against Canadian Trade Measures That Discriminate Against U.S. Wine

U.S. TAKES ACTION AGAINST CANADIAN TRADE MEASURES THAT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST U.S. WINE May 29, 2018 Source: USDA news release U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer announced today that the Trump Administration has requested that the World Trade Organization establish a dispute settlement panel to examine unfair regulations governing the sale of wine in grocery stores in the Canadian province of British Columbia . The Office of the United States Trade Representative is challenging BC regulations that discriminate against U.S. and other imported wine by allowing only BC wine to be sold on regular grocery store shelves.

Gillibrand requests $300 million in immediate relief for dairy farmers

U.S. Sen. Kirsten E. Gillibrand is urging Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to help dairy farmers withstand an ongoing financial crisis by issuing emergency funds as soon as possible. “This is a crisis right in our own backyard and we need to solve it now,” Sen. Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said during a conference call Tuesday.

Gillibrand calls on USDA to provide emergency funds for dairy

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is congratulated after the New York State Democratic Committee nominated her for re-election to the U.S. Senate on Friday, Feb. 16, 2018, at the Labor Temple in Albany, N.Y. less Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is congratulated after the New York State Democratic Committee nominated her for re-election to the U.S. Senate on Friday, Feb. 16, 2018, at the Labor Temple in Albany, N.Y. (Will ... more U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is calling on the federal government to help farmers stay afloat as they grapple with the financial and mental toll of low prices, changing consumer tastes, rising costs and an oversupply of milk.

Vineyard Monocultures

The massive growth of the wine industry has led to a very real problem-wine monocultures that transform ecologically complex places such as the hills of Napa County into carefully manicured landscapes that leave no room for the wild. That a lot of wineries require hillsides makes this worse, as many species exist on a pretty strict elevation level.

Left-Wing Backlash Builds Over Starbucks Partnership With Jewish Group

A left-wing backlash against Starbucks is building after the coffee company included a Jewish group that recently criticized Women's March in its upcoming training sessions combating racial bias. The Anti-Defamation League , a mainstream Jewish civil rights organization, is one of several groups helping Starbucks conduct anti-bias training sessions.