Jeanne Whalen

Good roundup of the reactions.

A great tribute to a great man. "For many, many people, including myself, meeting Derk changed the course of our lives."

Derk Sauer, Moscow Times Founder and Dutch Media Entrepreneur, Dies at 72 - The Moscow Times Derk Sauer, the Dutch media entrepreneur who founded The Moscow Times, died on Thursday at age 72, his family said in a statement.

Horrible news. Derk made an enormous contribution to freedom of speech in Russia, and helped a whole generation of journalists (including me) find our footing.

www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/07/31/d...

EU didn't want a trade war partly because it "feared Trump would abandon Ukraine & perhaps NATO altogether. A one-sided trade deal was the price of keeping, for now, Trump committed to the trans-Atlantic security alliance."

www.wsj.com/economy/trad...

I have been watching baseball for many decades and I have never seen a throw like this

Gray and dark gray clouds and fog with hint of pink after sunset. Over San Francisco Bay.

Sky after sunset last night over Marin County, California. Taken from Emeryville.

#sky #sunset #nature

Chicago architecture does it every time:

Wonderful and surprising news out of Belarus, as Lukashenko sets free 14 political prisoners in a deal brokered by Trump’s special envoy Keith Kellogg.

Belarus opposition leader's husband Sergei Tikhanovsky freed from prison Sergei Tikhanovsky had planned to challenge Alexander Lukashenko in the 2020 election, but was detained before the vote.

Belarus opposition leader's husband Sergei Tikhanovsky freed from prison

Wayne Thiebaud
24th Street Intersection (1978)
watercolor on paper 25.4 x 35.5 cm

“.. Jesus, that ear. He should donate it to the Smithsonian. .. He made all his records with four tracks, but you couldn't make his records if you had a hundred tracks today.”

- Bob Dylan, on Brian Wilson #RIP

“Good Vibrations” (1966)

Q. Have you seen any good movies lately? A. Well, I've only seen one in the last couple of years. It's called Norbit by Eddie Murphy. Q. How did you like it? A. Fantastic movie. Very funny. Q. What's your favorite movie? A. Norbit.

RIP to Brian Wilson, who gave us many perfect albums but also the perfect interview

Pet Sounds forever.

The White House Marching Orders That Sparked the L.A. Migrant Crackdown After deportations fell short of President Trump’s campaign promises, federal agents summoned to a meeting in Washington were told to “just go out there and arrest illegal aliens.”

"Late last month, the top ICE official overseeing arrests and deportations, Kenneth Genalo, resigned rather than fire deputies for poor performance."

Great reporting here

www.wsj.com/us-news/prot...

A shelf of 3 books about Roger Moore, Thomas More, and Henry Moore

In the midnight hour
she cried
Moore, More, Moore

With a rebel yell
she cried
Moore, More, Moore

A small bird with a glossy black head and shimmering purple and blue feathers sits alertly on a slender branch.

Velvet-purple Coronet #hummingbird at @montezumalodge.bsky.social #colombia

#birds #nature

The Abduction of Proserpina, by Gregorio Lazzarini, late 17th century, 📸 via @brwalkoff.bsky.social

Defying Trump, National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet is still at work The president said he had fired the museum leader — setting up a standoff between the White House and the Smithsonian.

In defiance of President Trump’s announcement last Friday that he was firing her, Kim Sajet — the director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery — has continued to report for work.

WILDLIFE ALERT TEMPORARY RESTRICTION - DOGS NOT PERMITTED ON GROUNDS Due to EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE COYOTE BEHAVIOR, dogs are TEMPORARILY NOT PERMITTED on Graceland Cemetery grounds. Coyotes are currently PROTECTING NEWBORN PUPS in nearby dens. They are highly territorial at this time and have exhibited AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR toward dogs brought in by visitors. WITH THE SAFETY OF ALL VISITORS, PETS, AND CEMETERY STAFF: • DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED on cemetery grounds UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE • Stay on designated paths • Do not approach or attempt to photograph coyotes • If a coyote is encountered, DO NOT RUN - back away slowly and make yourself appear larger. We will update the public when it is safe to resume dog visitation. REPORT COYOTE ACTIVITY : 773-525-1105

Warning sign about coyotes posted at Graceland Cemetery

Still Life with Apples

Still Life with Apples, 1894 #artbots #cezanne
https://botfrens.com/collections/43/contents/13079

Trump’s Tariffs: Where Things Stand The basics on the president’s far-reaching protectionist agenda.

In case anyone is having trouble keeping up:

www.wsj.com/economy/trad...

The White House says Trump is attending the meme coin dinner in his personal capacity. He traveled to and from the event on Marine One, transportation funded by taxpayers.

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

The stone library building with grand entrance flanked by two round towers

South side IllinoisHeads your time is NOW! I will be at the gorgeous Walker Branch of @chipublib in Morgan Park tomorrow nite talking Southern IL/Shawnee Forest travel. Come learn about IL, plan your trip, see this great building, meet up! Free and open to all—spread the word!

Post the options and we will vote

Truly weird

Gray clouds on the horizon obscure the skyline. Blue sky is higher up. The blue lake below.

How the Chicago skyline looked from Montrose Pier at 6:49 p.m.

Wishing a 'Happy Birthday!' to the inimitable Siân Phillips who turns 92 today... The most perfect portrayal of Livia imaginable!

Paul Batch (b. 1979)
"Magenta Haze"
Oil on Panel, 50.8 × 40.6 cm.

Trump’s China Deal Makes Sense. How He Got Here Doesn’t. The president’s tactics undercut his own rationales, while treating China better than allies.

The U.S.’s effective tariff rate on China is now 39%, including levies in place before President Trump took office.

www.wsj.com/economy/trad...

The Bubble Blasters and Other Chinese Goods That Are Paralyzed by Trade Chaos American importers cancel orders and scramble for alternatives, while Chinese factories cut staff and offload goods.

Tariffs are creating chaos for businesses on both sides of the Pacific. One Chinese factory boss is trying to unload 180,000 pieces of clothing by livestreaming a massive sales event from a pile of shipping containers at a Shenzhen port.

www.wsj.com/economy/trad...