The Ledes

Monday, February 24, 2025

New York Times: “Pope Francis is suffering from 'initial, mild kidney failure' in addition to the serious respiratory illness that has left the 88-year-old pontiff in critical condition in a Rome hospital, the Vatican said on Sunday.

Describing a “complex” clinical picture, the Vatican said that the kidney ailment was 'at present under control,' and that there had been no repeat of the respiratory crisis that the pope had experienced on Saturday. The pope was 'alert and well oriented,' the Vatican said, and he attended Mass in his suite along with the medical staff caring for him.”

The Wires
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To keep the Conversation going, please help me by linking news articles, opinion pieces and other political content in today's Comments section.

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OR here's a link generator. The one I had posted died, then Akhilleus found one, but it too bit the dust. He found yet another, which I've linked here, and as of September 23, 2024, it's working.

OR you can always just block, copy and paste to your comment the URL (Web address) of the page you want to link.

Note for Readers. It is not possible for commenters to "throw" their highlighted links to another window. But you can do that yourself. Right-click on the link and a drop-down box will give you choices as to where you want to open the link: in a new tab, new window or new private window.

Thank you to everyone who has been contributing links to articles & other content in the Comments section of each day's "Conversation." If you're missing the comments, you're missing some vital links.

Marie: Sorry, my countdown clock was unreliable; then it became completely unreliable. I can't keep up with it. Maybe I'll try another one later.

 

Public Service Announcement

Zoë Schlanger in the Atlantic: "Throw out your black plastic spatula. In a world of plastic consumer goods, avoiding the material entirely requires the fervor of a religious conversion. But getting rid of black plastic kitchen utensils is a low-stakes move, and worth it. Cooking with any plastic is a dubious enterprise, because heat encourages potentially harmful plastic compounds to migrate out of the polymers and potentially into the food. But, as Andrew Turner, a biochemist at the University of Plymouth recently told me, black plastic is particularly crucial to avoid." This is a gift link from laura h.

Mashable: "Following the 2024 presidential election results and [Elon] Musk's support for ... Donald Trump, users have been deactivating en masse. And this time, it appears most everyone has settled on one particular X alternative: Bluesky.... Bluesky has gained more than 100,000 new sign ups per day since the U.S. election on Nov. 5. It now has over 15 million users. It's enjoyed a prolonged stay on the very top of Apple's App Store charts as well. Ready to join? Here's how to get started on Bluesky[.]"

Washington Post: "Americans can again order free rapid coronavirus tests by mail, the Biden administration announced Thursday. People can request four free at-home tests per household through covidtests.gov. They will begin shipping Monday. The move comes ahead of an expected winter wave of coronavirus cases. The September revival of the free testing program is in line with the Biden administration’s strategy to respond to the coronavirus as part of a broader public health campaign to protect Americans from respiratory viruses, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), that surge every fall and winter. But free tests were not mailed during the summer wave, which wastewater surveillance data shows is now receding."

Democrats' Weekly Address

Marie (Feb 23): As far as I can tell, there isn't any. I hope I'm wrong, but it looks like Democrats are so screwed up, they can't even put together a couple of minutes of video to tell us how screwed we are.

New York Times: “Joy Reid’s evening news show on MSNBC is being canceled, part of a far-reaching programming overhaul orchestrated by Rebecca Kutler, the network’s new president, two people familiar with the changes said. The final episode of Ms. Reid’s 7 p.m. show, 'The ReidOut,' is planned for sometime this week, according to the people, who were not authorized to speak publicly. The show, which features in-depth interviews with politicians and other newsmakers, has been a fixture of MSNBC’s lineup for the past five years. MSNBC is planning to replace Ms. Reid’s program with a show led by a trio of anchors: Symone Sanders Townsend, a political commentator and former Democratic strategist; Michael Steele, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee; and Alicia Menendez, the TV journalist, the people said. They currently co-host 'The Weekend,' which airs Saturday and Sunday mornings.” MB: In case you've never seen “The Weekend,” let me assure you it's pretty awful.

Y! Entertainment: "Meanwhile, [Alex] Wagner will also be removed from her 9 pm weeknight slot. Wagner has already been working as a correspondent after Rachel Maddow took over hosting duties during ... Trump’s first 100 days in office. It’s now expected that Wagner will not return as host, but is expected to stay on as a contributor. Jen Psaki, President Biden’s former White House press secretary, is a likely replacement for Wagner, though a decision has not been finalized." MB: In fairness to Psaki, she is really too boring to watch. On the other hand, she is White. ~~~

     ~~~ RAS: "So MSNBC is getting rid of both of their minority evening hosts. Both women of color who are not afraid to call out the truth. Outspoken minorities don't have a long shelf life in the world of our corporate news media."

As we watch in horror the rapid destruction of our democratic form of government, it is comforting to remember there is life outside politics. I took a break a while ago to enjoy a brief lesson in the history of the moonwalk: ~~~

But it may go back even further:

And this chronological account is helpful:

New York Times: “Chuck Todd, the former 'Meet the Press' moderator and a longtime fixture of NBC’s political coverage, told colleagues on Friday that he was leaving the network. A nearly two-decade veteran of NBC, Mr. Todd said that Friday would be his last day at NBC.... Mr. Todd, 52, is the latest TV news star to step aside at a moment when salaries are being scrutinized — and slashed — by major media companies. Hoda Kotb exited NBC’s 'Today' show this month, and Neil Cavuto of Fox News and CNN’s Chris Wallace departed their cable news homes late last year.”

CNBC: “ CNN plans to lay off hundreds of employees Thursday [Jan. 23] as it refocuses the business around a global digital audience.... The layoffs come as CNN is rearranging its linear TV lineup and building out digital subscription products. The cuts will help CNN lower production costs and consolidate teams, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic changes. Certain shows that are produced in New York or Washington may move to Atlanta, where production can be done more cheaply, said the people. For the most part, the job cuts won’t affect CNN’s most recognizable names, who are under contract, said the people. CNN has about 3,500 employees worldwide.... NBC News is also planning cuts later this week, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss nonpublic changes. While the exact number couldn’t be determined, the job losses will be well under 50....”

New York Times: “The president of MSNBC, Rashida Jones, is stepping down from that position, the company said on Tuesday, a major change at the news network just days before ... Donald J. Trump takes office. Rebecca Kutler, senior vice president for content strategy at MSNBC, will succeed Ms. Jones as interim president, effective immediately. Ms. Jones will stay on in an advisory role through March.... MSNBC is among a bundle of cable channels that its parent company, Comcast, is planning to spin out later this year into a new company.” ~~~

~~~ MSNBC: “On Monday, Jan. 20, MSNBC will present wall-to-wall coverage of the inauguration of ... Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance and will kick off special programming for the first 100 days of the new Trump administration.... On the heels of her field reporting during the last 100 days of the 2024 presidential campaign, Alex Wagner will travel the country to follow the biggest stories as they develop in real-time during Trump’s first 100 days in office, reporting on the impact of his early promises and policies on the electorate for 'Trumpland: The First 100 Days.'... During the first 100 days, Rachel Maddow will bring her signature voice and distinct perspective to the anchor desk every weeknight at 9 p.m. ET, offering viewers in-depth analysis of the key issues facing the country at the outset of Trump’s second term. After April 30, 'The Rachel Maddow Show' will return to its regular schedule of Mondays at 9 p.m. ET and Wagner will return to anchoring 'Alex Wagner Tonight' Tuesday through Friday.”

 

Contact Marie

Email Marie at constantweader@gmail.com

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Tuesday
Sep142010

Our Miss Brooks Raps the Teachers' Knuckles

David Brooks has "unbounded admiration" for reputed fiscal wunderkind Rep. Paul Ryan & American Enterprise Institute President Arthur Brooks. Pres. Brooks, in case you never heard of him, is the "much-cited author" of stuff, Our Miss Brooks being the much-citer. Columnist Brooks does think perhaps these admirable boys are a tad off in their hurling revulsion for all government, any government.

The Constant Weader remarks:

My admiration for both [Paul Ryan & Arthur Brooks] is unbounded.
-- David Brooks (no relation to Arthur)

There's your first mistake.

... The Democrats' lavish spending.... -- David Brooks

Who started those two crazy foreign wars? Who came up with an extravagant, unworkable prescription drug program? Who cut taxes so this stuff wasn't paid for? Uh, make that Republicans, Republicans & Republicans.

If "tragedy" is by definition self-inflicted, then you got that right. The Republican party is tragic. Unfortunately, the tragedy of the Republican party does not affect only people foolish enough to vote for Republicans. It befalls all of us.

In a complex, modern society, small government just doesn't work. Are you going to have highways stop at the Nebraska border? Oh, oh, & what about the military? Is Kansas going to pay for its own tanks & bombs?

Are you going to let senior citizens fend for themselves? Do you really want people to go on dying because they can't afford health care when simple medication or operations could save them? Are we going to stop feeding hungry children with federally-funded food stamps & school lunch programs? If that's "conservative," it's also mean, stupid & stingy.

Who cares about civil rights? Let's just let the South go on back to being the South. Fly those Stars & Bars, boys, & some of you-all darker-complexioned folks can proceed to the back of the bus. The Americans with Disabilities Act? Who needs it. Way too expensive. Not my problem. Title Nine? Give those girls a jumprope & hula hoop -- and tell 'em to shut up.

If the new conservatives have their way, it won't just be logical federal programs that are cut, but every kind of government service. Rand Paul, running in a state where drug abuse is a severe problem, wants government to get out of the drug counseling business. He thinks churches should handle it. Hallenjuh, Brother! Jesus was no junkie. Sharron Angle thinks states should not honor restraining orders from other states. Welcome to Nevada, stalkers! John McCain sure is anxious to get federal agents down there patrolling the "danged" Arizona-Mexico border, but in ConservoWorld, that will all be up to Arizona. And if Arizona doesn't do a very good job, I guess Utah will have to establish its own border patrol to run along the Arizona-Utah border. What a plan!

Fortunately, in the United States of the Second Amendment we can all arm ourselves & have shoot-em-ups with the neighbors if they get too noisy or don't mow the grass. Because, hey, who needs government monitoring that stuff? And really, let's all burn our own trash in ToxicLand. 

Now, why is it you have "unbounded admiration" for Ryan & Brooks? Is it because the world they have planned for us is a nightmare of lawlessness & anarchy? Or is it because they write your columns for you? C'mon, Miss Brooks. Even you, protected from reality by the latest in rose-colored ConservoSpecs, acknowledged that

... the story Republicans are telling each other, which Ryan and Brooks have reinforced, is an oversimplified version of American history, with dangerous implications.

That's right. These guys are part of a dangerous, anti-American force to be reviled by anyone with a belief in basic societal values. Quit admiring them. And for Pete's sake, quit defending them.


Our Miss Brooks, having followed the economic advice of Rep. Ryan & the AEI, finds herself in financial straits. Fortunately, she comes up with a scheme that involves hillbillies, a minister & a song-&-dance that is just as effective as the song-&-dance routine Ryan & the AEI have been feeding America's modern-day church-going hayseeds:

Segment 2 is here; Segment 3 is here. Things do not work out well for Our Miss Brooks & the other faculty at Madison High, but, hey, who needs teachers anyway? They're just government workers.

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