Weds Blogcast: Deep sea "divestream"; DIA security; World's strongest man
August 6, 2025
Quick programming note
I'll be covering the first segment of Mandy's show today, heading into an early Rockies game so you'll have to suffer through me for a little longer than usual (since I know you'd never change the station.)
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Today's Guests
Stacey Stegman is DIA Senior Vice President of Communications, Marketing and Customer Experience (aka spokesperson). We'll discuss the new security arrangements at Denver International Airport, what travelers can expect now and in the future, and which lanes the lizard people use.
UPDATE: I originally booked Stacey to talk about security lines at DIA but on Tuesday evening, this came out in a press release and I expect it will take up some part of the conversation:
DENVER – Aug. 5, 2025 – Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Denver International Airport (DEN) CEO Phil Washington will make a joint announcement about a future-focused plan to study the feasibility of small modular nuclear reactors as a potential sustainable energy production source.
 As DEN prepares for a future when 120+ million passengers are expected to transit annually by 2045, a sustainable power supply will be necessary to meet the demands of airport assets, as well as the airport’s safety and customer experience goals.
DIA opens East Security Checkpoint, closes South: Here's what has changed
DIA's East Security Checkpoint opens ahead of schedule, under budget
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Brian Shaw is a multi-time winner of The World's Strongest Man Contest. He joins me in studio.
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Other Stuff
Can you imagine if this is true? JPMorgan and Bank of America 'debanked' Trump under pressure from Biden admin: Sources
Trump seems to have read the story and believed it (or else he thought it earlier, but I doubt it because he probably would have been a lot nastier to those CEOs): Trump Says JPMorgan, Bank of America Refused His Business
Looks like this is become a real discussion at a policy level: Exclusive | Trump White House Preps Executive Order to Punish Banks That Discriminate Against Conservatives, Crypto Companies - WSJ
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Speaking of bank stuff, this is good news: Trump confirms Scott Bessent won't replace Powell as Fed chair amid rising tensions with central bank
Bessent is the only adult supervision around Trump when it comes to economics.
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WOW. I have no idea whether this decision is based on science. My hunch is that it isn't because RFK Jr has never been about science. I wonder if the companies will fight back and try to prove efficacy and safety (after all, research isn't being banned, just not funded by HHS), or whether they'll retrench and wait for another president or at least HHS secretary. RFK Jr cancels $500m in mRNA vaccine development in the US
In the meantime, I wonder what happens to Moderna stock tomorrow. The stock traded near $450 a share (very briefly) during COVID, embarked on a fairly steady downward march from around $200 at the beginning of 2023, and closed at $27.47 on Tuesday. I believe the news came out while after-hours trading was still happening and the stock didn't move much so maybe it's already built in a lot of this risk.
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Useful info: Many new Colorado laws take effect Aug. 6. Here are some you should know about. - The Colorado Sun
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Obviously you have to be skeptical of anything coming out of Maxwell's mouth but if you made me bet on it, I'd bet that Trump didn't do anything illegal with underage girls, Epstein, etc. Ghislaine Maxwell told DOJ Trump never did anything concerning around her: Sources - ABC News
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Oops: Coast Guard report reveals who was to blame for Titan submersible implosion
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A little creepy, but it's over: Tennessee executes man without deactivating implanted defibrillator | AP News
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Speaking of a mid-southern state: Judge blocks districts from enforcing Arkansas law requiring Ten Commandments display in classrooms | AP News
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Nice to hear a lovely story about computer gaming for a change: Millions are flocking to grow virtual gardens in viral Roblox game created by teenager | AP News
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PLEASE READ MY FULL SUBSTACK ON THIS TOPIC (and please subscribe...it's free!): https://open.substack.com/pub/rosskaminsky/p/what-is-an-election?r=3boc8&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
If you take all your political news from anyone but News Nation (centrist) or Fox (conservative) then you would think that most of the country hates Republicans. And surely a lot of folks don't like Trump including some folks who hesitantly voted for him. But remember that elections are choices and even though Trump lost in 2020, Dems haven't given a good presidential choice since Obama (and even he wasn't great). Think about the actual meaning of "elect". It means to choose something from among at least two options. So whatever you think about Trump or the GOP, the question in politics should be the same as the most important question in economics: "compared to what?"
Sure, Republicans don't have high favorable ratings. Neither does Trump specifically, though generally he's hangin' around pretty well, at levels above those in his first term. Meanwhile, even with a recent jump in Dem registrations, I think Dems have the bigger branding problem than the GOP does. I think the single biggest risk for the GOP -- at least if the election were today -- would be whether Trump supporters will turn out in off-year elections. Normally they don't. Still, the GOP could survive the midterms if the Dem base is also dispirited.
Democrats Regain Advantage in Party Affiliation
Exclusive | Democrats Get Lowest Rating From Voters in 35 Years, WSJ Poll Finds - WSJ
This is on point with the latter part of my comments above:
Many Democrats see party as 'weak' or 'ineffective,' poll finds | AP News
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I think this is an interesting question. Obviously, Second Amendment absolutists will think the court got it wrong. And maybe in a perfect world they did, but as long as it's "must issue" (in most circumstances) for concealed carry, I have less sympathy for those to demand to be able to open-carry. Tough call, for me... Federal judge upholds Rhode Island's gun permit system, dismisses lawsuit | AP News
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Seems like very bad luck to be sent here if you're not from sub-Saharan Africa to begin with. Imagine being a Nicaraguan deported to Rwanda? Rwanda accepts up to 250 deportees from the US under Trump's third-country plan | AP News
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Don't make too much of one report, but this is what I expect: Amid summer doldrums, Denver housing market sees prices drop | Dg-print | denvergazette.com
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Someone is obsessed with kitchen appliances as size comparisons: Denver man hit by microwave-sized rock on 14er
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Another tough call, and more of a subtle issue than probably most will admit, on either side: Discriminating Against DACA Students - WSJ
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Today's Videos
You don't have to be a scuba diver to find this stuff incredible. And obviously, no human would survive anything close to these pressures.
Argentina Deep Sea Expedition Reveals Stunning Marine Life
Underwater Oases of the Mar Del Plata Canyon - Schmidt Ocean Institute
Lots of videos here: (744) mar del plata - YouTube