Cover Photo: The exterior of the Karcher mall’s now-closed Macy’s store.
Welcome to America’s Newsletter from Tag The Flag, the best morning newsletter on the internet, bringing you nonpartisan news and every view of the Red, White, and Blue. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
📌 BULLETIN BOARD
Update: we called and emailed Sherrod Brown and Susan Collins’ offices yesterday regarding our petition to require the federal government to buy Flags that are 100% Made in America. We made some good progress on day one, let’s keep it going today. Sign and share the petition→
🦅 U.S. NEWS
President Trump Condemns Mass Shootings, Calls for Action
President Trump sharply condemned white supremacy and pledged a new focus on disrupting online mass-shooter plots, but he didn’t unveil major gun-control proposals, in his first formal remarks to the nation since back-to-back attacks over the weekend. In response to the shootings Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) & Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) pushed for their bipartisan ‘red flag’ bill that would set up a grant program designed to prevent mentally ill people from possessing firearms. Similarly, Senator Pat Toomey (R-Penn.) also called for his bipartisan bill with Senator Joe Manchin (D-W. Va) to expand background checks. Here’s how the announcement of the bills played out from the left, right, and center. – Politico / The Hill / Townhall
What Apocalypse? Retail Worker Pay Hits 15-Year High
Despite an industry shakeout that’s been dubbed the retail apocalypse, American store workers who have hung in there are seeing better pay than a generation ago, even with inflation. By the numbers: Average hourly earnings for 13.4 million non-supervisory retail workers surged 5.1% last year for the biggest advance since 1981. Drivers: Minimum wage increases by states and across major chains, like Walmart and Target, coupled with a tight labor market, have jump-started the income gains. Big picture: retail is still one of the lowest-paid sectors, with non-supervisory hourly workers making 29% less on average than those in other industries. – Bloomberg
Worlds Colliding: America’s Largest Newspaper Chains Will Join Forces
The country’s two largest newspaper chains agreed to combine their businesses, further consolidating an industry reeling from strong economic headwinds. New Media Investment Group, the parent of GateHouse Media, is buying Gannett in a roughly $1.4 billion deal, the companies said Monday. Why it matters: the deal comes as many newspapers are experiencing declining print advertising, including classified ads, while competing against tech giants such as Google and Facebook for digital advertising dollars. Google and Facebook together are expected to take 51% of all U.S. digital ad spending in 2019. Big picture: More than 2,100 newspapers closed between June 2004 and 2019. – WSJ (subscription)
Noteworthy
+ The United States took the rare step on Monday of formally labeling China a currency manipulator
+ Overrun Chicago hospital stops taking local gun victims
+ How Jack Daniel’s helps protect the world’s whiskey supply
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🌎 WORLD NEWS
Putin calls for talks after Trump pulls out of nuclear arms agreement
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday called for arms talks with the U.S., saying Moscow would only deploy new intermediate-range missiles if Washington does as well. Context: Putin’s statement comes just days after the U.S. formally exited the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, a decades-old arms pact with Russia credited with helping end the Cold War. On Saturday, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he was interested in deploying intermediate-range missiles in Asia soon. Putin reiterated yesterday that Russia would not deploy missiles unless the U.S. places them in range of the country. – The Hill
India Revokes Kashmir’s Special Status, Raising Fears of Unrest
The Indian government said on Monday that it was revoking a constitutional provision that had for decades given a unique degree of autonomy to Kashmir, a disputed mountainous region along the India-Pakistan border. Background: In anticipation of the announcement India flooded Kashmir with thousands of extra troops. The Indian authorities also evacuated tourists, closed schools and cut off internet service. Why it matters: many analysts predicted this could set off rioting and unrest, and risk turning a cold war between the two countries into a hot one. – The New York Times
New Zealand to decriminalize abortion
New Zealand’s government on Monday unveiled a draft bill that would decriminalize abortion and treat it as a health issue. Background: The proposed legislation aims to modernize laws that have been in place since 1977. Although abortions are available in New Zealand, the procedure is an offense under the Crimes Act and can only be carried out if two doctors can certify that the pregnancy endangers the mother’s physical or mental health. Why it matters: The proposed changes would remove this requirement for women who are less than 20 weeks pregnant, but women who are further along in their pregnancies will still need a health practitioner’s approval. – DW
Noteworthy
+ Helmets, goggles sent from Taiwan to HK protesters
💼 BUSINESS
“On a Scale of 1-10, it’s an 11: Markets Plunge
Stocks were pummeled by selling Monday, pushing indexes from New York to Shanghai lower, as the yuan reeled and fresh trade threats between Beijing and Washington raised fears of an economic slowdown. The Dow plunged 767 points, while the S&P 500 dropped 3% and Nasdaq sank nearly 3.5%. Stocks had their worst day of 2019 and have also fallen more than 5% from record highs set last month. Drivers: Chinese officials blamed the yuan’s depreciation on President Trump’s decision last week to extend tariffs to almost all Chinese imports. Mr. Trump responded on Twitter, accusing China of engaging in currency manipulation. Why it matters: The back-and-forth dealt a blow to some investors’ hopes that the two countries would ultimately reach a trade agreement with one analyst saying China’s retaliation is “massive,” adding that “on a scale of 1-10, it’s an 11.” Here’s why. – WSJ/ Yahoo Finance
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🏅 SPORTS
The Athletic Sports News Site Hits 500,000 Subscribers
The Athletic, a sports-news subscription service launched in 2016, said it has reached more than 500,000 subscribers and expects to nearly double that total by year-end. Since launching in Chicago three years ago, the Athletic has expanded to nearly 50 cities in the U.S. and Canada and hired hundreds of sports reporters and editors, often from local newspapers. It covers roughly 270 teams from the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and college sports. Why it matters: The site is a test for the digital-subscription model in journalism. The New York Times, the market leader, counts 3.5 million subscribers. What’s next: just yesterday the site launched it’s coverage of English Premier League soccer, thus expanding overseas. – Bloomberg
💻 TECHNOLOGY
Weekend Shootings Lead to Big Tech Blame Game
Following a weekend with two mass shootings, President Donald Trump directed the Department of Justice to work with local, state and federal agencies to work harder to find potential attackers, calling on social media companies to “develop tools to detect mass shooters before they strike.” The president also called for the end of the “glorification of violence,” focusing on the video game industry and said mental health laws must be reformed. Almost simultaneously, the controversial internet message board 8chan went offline Monday after internet infrastructure company Cloudflare stopped providing support for the website used by the suspected gunman in El Paso to post a hate-filled screed. Why these stories matter: social media companies and websites like 8chan are now the immediate scapegoats after tragedies occur both at home and abroad. People accused of a synagogue shooting in Poway, California, and shootings at two mosques in New Zealand also reportedly announced their plans on 8chan and even streamed the rampages using social media platforms like Facebook. – CNET / CNN
🚰 WATERCOOLER
+ Man hasn’t spoken to family in years because he can’t stand the sound of their chewing
+ 11 brothers from Alabama, 158 years of US military service
+ Puppy with Missing Leg Adopted by Amputee Veteran: ‘It’s Impossible to Not Smile Around Him’
📅 ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
1945: American bomber drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima
On this day in 1945, the United States becomes the first and only nation to use atomic weaponry during wartime when it drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Approximately 80,000 people are killed as a direct result of the blast, and another 35,000 are injured. At least another 60,000 would be dead by the end of the year from the effects of the fallout.
🇺🇸 TOP TAGS
From California, to the New York Island…
💡 TRIVIA
How did bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki save lives?
