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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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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.

Out with the Black. In with the White. New York Times: “Lester Holt, the veteran NBC newscaster and anchor of the 'NBC Nightly News' over the last decade, announced on Monday that he will step down from the flagship evening newscast in the coming months. Mr. Holt told colleagues that he would remain at NBC, expanding his duties at 'Dateline,' where he serves as the show’s anchor.... He said that he would continue anchoring the evening news until 'the start of summer.' The network did not immediately name a successor.” ~~~

~~~ New York Times: “MSNBC said on Monday that Jen Psaki, the former White House press secretary who has become one of the most prominent hosts at the network, would anchor a nightly weekday show in prime time. Ms. Psaki, 46, will host a show at 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, replacing Alex Wagner, a longtime political journalist who has anchored that hour since 2022, according to a memo to staff from Rebecca Kutler, MSNBC’s president. Ms. Wagner will remain at MSNBC as an on-air correspondent. Rachel Maddow, MSNBC’s biggest star, has been anchoring the 9 p.m. hour on weeknights for the early days of ... [Donald] Trump’s administration but will return to hosting one night a week at the end of April.”

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. ~~~

     ~~~ AP Update: "Joy Reid is leaving MSNBC, the network’s new president announced in a memo to staff on Monday, marking an end to the political analyst and anchor’s prime time news show."

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....”

 

Contact Marie

Email Marie at constantweader@gmail.com

Page Links
Monday
Mar212011

The Commentariat -- March 22

** Do You Know What Your Congress Is Doing? CW: while we're arguing about Libya, Republicans are planning the deaths of American children. Suzy Khimm of Mother Jones: "Republicans in Congress have proposed slashing millions in federal funding for immunization programs. Public health advocates warn that these cuts threaten efforts across the country to prevent and contain infectious and sometimes fatal diseases. And they add that lower vaccination rates could eventually result in more outbreaks that endanger public health at a major cost to taxpayers." ...

... Tim Fernholtz of the National Journal: "The House Agriculture Committee endorsed a letter this week to Budget Chairman Paul Ryan arguing that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps low-income Americans purchase food, would make a better target for cuts than automatic subsidies to farms.... The Agriculture Committee is dominated by members of Congress from farm states; Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., has reported $445,714 in political contributions from the agricultural industry during the course of his career, and ranking Democrat Collin Peterson of Minnesota reports $809,097 in career donations. The budget letter, endorsed by both Lucas and Peterson, argues that subsidies need to be in place for when record-high prices 'inevitably' fall." CW: I forget how many members of Congress get farm subsidies, but it's a bunch; some of the welfare recipients -- Michele Bachmann, Chuck Grassley & Max Baucus. Who cares about hungry people?

This I Did Not Know. Damien Paletta of the Wall Street Journal: the Social Security Disability Insurance fund "is set to soon become the first big federal benefit program to run out of cash — and one of the main reasons is U.S. states and territories have a large say in who qualifies for the federally funded program. Without changes, the Social Security retirement fund can survive intact through about 2040 and Medicare through 2029. The disability fund, however, will run dry in four to seven years without federal intervention, government auditors say." CW: this article is firewalled & I can't link through. However, you can read it via Google.

The New York Times Editors endorse the enforcement of the no-flight zone over Libya, but they add a lot of "yeah-buts." ...

... What's the Rebels' Goal? Democracy or Tribal Ascendancy? David Kirkpatrick of the New York Times: "The behavior of the fledgling rebel government in Benghazi so far offers few clues to the rebels’ true nature. Their governing council is composed of secular-minded professionals — lawyers, academics, businesspeople — who talk about democracy, transparency, human rights and the rule of law. But their commitment to those principles is just now being tested as they confront the specter of potential Qaddafi spies in their midst, either with rough tribal justice or a more measured legal process." ...

Philip Ewing of Politico: "Even as [President] Obama wants to protect Libyan rebels from forces loyal to Libyan strongman Muammar Qadhafi, the president also wants to avoid putting the United States into another situation – the third in a decade – in which America would be responsible for rebuilding a Muslim nation it has attacked and decapitated. So even though Obama reiterated his call Monday that Qadhafi 'needs to go,' he said America is not authorized to target him under the conditions of the international agreement under which it’s operating."

** Stephen Walt of Foreign Policy: "The only important intellectual difference between neoconservatives and liberal interventionists is that the former have disdain for international institutions (which they see as constraints on U.S. power), and the latter see them as a useful way to legitimate American dominance." CW: a very interesting read.

... Dave Weigel argues in Slate that President Obama didn't consult Congress on the strike against Libya because most of the Congress didn't want him to. See Monday, March 21 News Ledes for links to the President's belated notification to Congress. ...

... Although the White House claims the President had the authority to commit to the Libyan effort, John Nichols of The Nation, for one, disagrees: "Anyone who takes the Constitution seriously should have a problem with the fact that, once again, the United States is involved in a war that has neither been debated nor declared by the Congress of the United States." ...

... BUT, as Thom Hartman points out, the Congress was busy. "John Boehner instead chose to debate defunding NPR and Planned Parenthood, leaving the decision to President Obama." ...

... Laura Rozen of Yahoo News: "President Barack Obama, speaking in Santiago, Chile on Monday, defended his decision to order U.S. strikes against Libyan military targets, and insisted that the mission is clear.... Obama insisted that the United States' lead military role will be turned over — "in days, not weeks" — to an international command of which the United States will be just one part. The only problem: None of the countries in the international coalition can yet agree on to whom or how the United States should hand off responsibilities."

Hiroko Tabuchi, et al., of the New York Times: "Just a month before a powerful earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Daiichi plant at the center of Japan’s nuclear crisis, government regulators approved a 10-year extension for the oldest of the six reactors at the power station despite warnings about its safety."

Prof. Michael Niman, writing in Buffalo's ArtVoice wonders, "why are we vilifying union members for successfully defending a right we should all enjoy?" -- i.e., a decent healthcare plan. "Why don’t we all fight to have the same healthcare as Teamsters have? ... Rather than being duped into vilifying those of us who are still holding on to the American dream, join us. Rather than being tricked into organizing against us, organize with us. We are you. Unionize everybody! Thanks to reader Peter S. for the link. ...

... Why, even conservative Stanley Fish has come around to supporting unions in the academic wing of the world.

Ben Bernanke now must finally understand that this money doesn’t belong to the Federal Reserve, it belongs to the American people and the American people have a right to know how their taxpayer dollars are being put at risk. -- Sen. Bernie Sanders ...

... Neil Irwin of Bloomberg News: "A Supreme Court order that forces unprecedented disclosures from the Federal Reserve ended a two- year legal battle that helped shape the public’s perceptions of the U.S. central bank. The high court yesterday let stand a lower-court ruling compelling the Fed to reveal the names of banks that borrowed money at the so-called discount window during the credit crisis. The records were requested by Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News. In July, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank law, which mandated the release of other Fed bailout details." ...

... Matt Yglesias in Democracy on the Fed: "The idea of a central bank that’s 'independent' of day-to-day politics is a good one, but too often that’s come to mean a central bank that’s immune from criticism or meaningful supervision. The Federal Reserve System’s current vague mandate needs to be replaced with a specific target, defined in law.... Progressives need to start caring about the Fed and engaging in the debate over what it does."

If you hear the latest story coming from the right -- that, really, our tax structure is more progressive than are those of European countries, you'll want to read Kevin Drum's brief analysis.

Andrew Romano of Newsweek on the consequences of Americans' ignorance about our system of government. Thirty-eight percent of us can't pass the citizenship test. The article links to a test which allows you to check your own knowledge. CW: fair warnings -- (a) this is one of those annoying click-thru tests that takes forever, which is why I didn't link it directly; (b) the people who wrote the test may not be as smart as you are. Several answers, according to scholars, are wrong. (I found another wrong answer the linked article doesn't mention; there are probably more.) ...

... Steve Benen: "... uninformed and easily-fooled voters have a severely limited working understanding of current events, but at the same time, have enormous power over the nation's future.... When voters are ignorant, candidates are more likely to lie, confident in their ability to get away with it. When the electorate is disengaged, policymakers feel less pressure to exercise good judgment, knowing they can just pull the wool over the public's eyes later.... Our political system -- and the country overall -- relies on a certain level of sophistication among the public, and there's ample evidence that we're just not at that level. In human history, it's never been easier to get -- and stay -- well informed. Folks just have to take some responsibility."

... Matt Yglesias: "What doesn’t seem sustainable to me is the system we’ve been evolving toward in which a legislative minority is able to block action and then reap the rewards of any policy failure that results. This feature of our institutional set-up, much more than public ignorance, threatens to wreck the “market” for sound public policy."

"Claire Air." David Catanese of Politico: "Sen. Claire McCaskill is selling the personal plane that has caused her turbulence in recent weeks after Politico revealed she used taxpayer money to cover the cost of political travel. The first-term Democrat said she was very happy she was able to convince her husband to 'sell the damn plane.' In a conference call Monday afternoon, McCaskill revealed that after her own review of the plane's records, she had not paid personal property taxes on the aircraft over the past four years." The Republican Senatorial Committee cut a pretty damning video:

... Michael Shear of the New York Times: "... Senate Democrats can’t afford to make any mistakes. Which makes the scandal in Missouri over Senator Claire McCaskill’s private plane the kind of unforced error that could come back to haunt the national party in the days after the 2012 election."

Jeff Zeleny of the New York Times profiles Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour who is considering a run for president. CW: I'm linking this story because I feel I must -- it's one of the most popular articles on the Times site.

Ain't It Always the Way. Jenna Wortham of the New York Times: "The $39 billion proposed merger of AT&T and T-Mobile could save the companies a lot of money. For everyone else, it could cost a lot of money. No sooner did the two companies announce a $39 billion merger on Sunday than industry analysts began assessing the impact on the biggest potential losers in the deal: consumers."

Right Wing World

Ginni Gets A(nother) Job. Brian Beutler of TPM: "Ginni Thomas, the tea party leader, health care reform foe, and controversial wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, will join The Daily Caller as a reporter." CW: in case you're not familiar with the Daily Caller -- and why would you be? -- it's Tucker Carlson's smarmy site, which most recently has been happy to promote James O'Keefe's video-editing adventures. Thanks to Jeanne B. for the heads-up.

Arizona State Senate President Russell Pearce, the prime mover of the state's draconian anti-illegal-immigration laws, has taken "Tentherism" -- a right-wing premise that the Tenth Amendment makes most federal laws unconstitutional -- to a new level. Zaid Jilani of Think Progress reports that Pearce said in a speech to enthusiastic teabaggers:

Do you know, you’re not a citizen of the United States. You’re a citizen of a sovereign state. The fifty sovereign states makes up United States of America, we’re citizens of those sovereign states. It is not a delegated authority. It’s an inherent authority that states have over the federal government.It’s about time somebody gets it right!

     ... Jilani suggests Pearce actually read the Constitution -- like the Fourteenth Amendment (which Pearce really, really hates) that reads, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside." Or he could read Article VI, which states, "This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof ... shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby...."

"Stuff Happens." I hate Keyboard Cat, but I'll have to admit this iteration of KC playing off Dick Cheney -- sent to me by reader Doug R. -- is pretty good from start to finish. And it's kinda amazing, isn't it, to see sycophant John King actually question Cheney. I can only surmise King accepted Cheney's two-word "explanation":

News Ledes

AP: "South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed a law Tuesday requiring women to wait three days after meeting with a doctor to have an abortion, the longest waiting period in the nation. Abortion rights groups immediately said they plan to file a lawsuit challenging the measure, which also requires women to undergo counseling at pregnancy help centers that discourage abortions."

Politico: "President Barack Obama acknowledged Tuesday that the joint military operation under way in Libya to protect civilians could continue as long Col. Muammar Qadhafi remains in control in Tripoli, but the president also insisted that the U.S. contribution to keep the Libyan dictator’s regime in check would be limited." Video here. ...

... The audio sucks & the embed code is defective, but Jay Carney & Ben Rhodes' pushback against criticism that the Obama Administration didn't consult Congress on the Libyan action is worth hearing. Here's the link to the video. ...

... New York Times: "An American F-15E fighter jet crashed in Libya overnight and one crew member has been recovered while the other is “in the process of recovery,” according to a spokesman for the American military’s Africa Command and a British reporter who saw the wreckage. The crash was likely caused by mechanical failure and not hostile fire, the spokesman, Vince Crawley, told Reuters. Details of the incident remained sparse. The crash was the first known setback for the international coalition...." ...

     ... AP Update: "A U.S. official says both the crew of an F-15 fighter jet that crashed in Libya are safe and back in American hands."

New York Times: "President Ali Abdullah Saleh indicated that he would accept an opposition proposal to plan his early departure from office, a government official said, as the Yemeni leader and opposition figures that now include one of the country’s senior military commanders.... Mr. Saleh appeared willing to shift ground after a wave of high-level officials, including the senior commander, Maj. Gen. Ali Mohsin al-Ahmar, an important tribal leader and a half-dozen ambassadors abandoned him and threw their support behind protesters calling for his ouster. Previously he had offered only to leave by 2013."

AP: "Workers reconnected power lines to all six reactor units at Japan's radiation-leaking nuclear plant Tuesday, its operator said, marking a significant step in bringing the overheated complex under control."

Supremes Blink. Washington Post: "The Supreme Court on Monday turned down the Republican National Committee’s latest attempt to knock out long-standing campaign finance restrictions. Without comment, the justices rejected a challenge from the RNC and former Louisiana congressman Anh 'Joseph' Cao that sought to end federal restrictions on how much a political party can spend in direct coordination with a candidate. Cao lost a reelection bid in 2010. The RNC said the restrictions violate the party’s First Amendment rights, a claim that was turned aside by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit."

Washington Post: "A day after AT&T announced it would buy T-Mobile USA to create the biggest wireless carrier in the country, consumer advocates and some members of Congress blasted the deal, arguing the $39 billion merger would lead to higher prices and fewer choices for cellphone users."

Haaretz: "Former President of the State of Israel Moshe Katsav was sentenced to seven years in jail Tuesday, for after he had previously been found guilty of rape and other sexual offenses. The court also ruled that Katsav must also serve two years of probation and pay NIS 100,000 to his rape victim, a former employee of the Tourism Ministry known as A., and to pay NIS 25,000 to L., a former employee of the President's Residence, whom he had sexually harrased and abused."

AP: "The leader of Portugal's main opposition party says the minority government's downfall is 'inevitable' after it failed to win political support for its latest plan to cut the country's huge debt burden. Portugal is trying to avoid becoming the latest of the 17 eurozone countries to need a bailout.... But all opposition parties have balked at the Socialist government's new austerity measures, which are expected to be rejected by Parliament even though European leaders praised them."

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