The Ledes

Saturday, March 8, 2025

New York Times: “Officials said [actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa] died of natural causes, he of heart disease and she of a rare viral infection. But it was Ms. Arakawa — the caregiver, lover, protector — who died first, perhaps on Feb. 11, leaving Mr. Hackman, 95 years old with advanced Alzheimer’s, alone in the house for days. He is believed to have died a week later, on Feb. 18. Their decomposing bodies were not discovered for yet another eight days, when a maintenance worker called a security guard to the house after no one came to the door.... Ms. Arakawa died of hantarivus, which is contracted through exposure to excrement from rodents, often the deer mouse in New Mexico.”

The Wires
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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.

Back when the Washington Post had an owner/publisher who dared to stand up to a president:

Prime video is carrying the documentary. If you watch it, I suggest watching the Spielberg film "The Post" afterwards. There is currently a free copy (type "the post full movie" in the YouTube search box) on YouTube (or you can rent it on YouTube, on Prime & [I think] on Hulu). Near the end, Daniel Ellsberg (played by Matthew Rhys), says "I was struck in fact by the way President Johnson's reaction to these revelations was [that they were] 'close to treason,' because it reflected to me the sense that what was damaging to the reputation of a particular administration or a particular individual was in itself treason, which is very close to saying, 'I am the state.'" Sound familiar?

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:

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

Saturday
May072011

The Commentariat -- May 8

Maureen Dowd, on reaction to the killing of Osama bin Laden: "I want memory, and justice, and revenge.... When college kids spontaneously streamed out Sunday night to the White House, ground zero and elsewhere, they were the opposite of bloodthirsty: they were happy that one of the most certifiably evil figures of our time was no more." ...

     ... I've opened a comments page on Off Times Square. Comment on Dowd or on anything related to Bullets to the Brain, the post immediately below this one. ...

... Elizabeth Bumiller, et al., of the New York Times: "The world’s most wanted terrorist lived his last five years imprisoned behind the barbed wire and high walls of his home in Abbottabad, Pakistan, his days consumed by dark arts and domesticity. American officials believe that Osama bin Laden spent many hours on the computer, relying on couriers to bring him thumb drives packed with information from the outside world."

... Noam Chomsky in Guernica: "It’s increasingly clear that the operation was a planned assassination, multiply violating elementary norms of international law." ...

... Peter Bergen in the Washington Post debunks "five myths about Osama bin Laden." Bergen is non-partisan & a well-regarded expert on Al Qaeda. ...

On Conspiracy Theories: "Barack Obama -- the first black man ever to have to prove he killed someone":

Karen Garcia on Unemployment: President Obama just doesn't get it. He is still talking about Winning the Future when the Problem is Now.

Low Road. New York Times Editors: "... several prominent Democrats are abandoning the high ground and have decided to raise millions of their own secret dollars.... Bill Burton, who until February was Mr. Obama’s deputy press secretary, said last week that he would help lead a group ... which will raise unlimited money from undisclosed sources to aid in the president’s re-election campaign.The White House says the president has not changed his view, but somehow he no longer seems to recognize Burton.... If the president stood up and publicly told Mr. Burton to end his effort, that would probably be the end of it. But he has not done so." ...

Meanwhile in Low Country, Fox "News" Hosts the 2012 Undeclared Candidates Debate:

Tom Zeller, Jr. of the New York Times: "Critics have long painted the [Nuclear Regulatory] Commission as well-intentioned but weak and compliant, and incapable of keeping close tabs on an industry to which it remains closely tied.... Safety experts, Congressional critics and even the agency’s own internal monitors say the N.R.C. is prone to dither when companies complain that its proposed actions would cost time or money. The promise of lucrative industry work after officials leave the commission probably doesn’t help, critics say, pointing to dozens over the years who have taken jobs with nuclear power companies and lobbying firms."

Roy Gutman of McClatchy News: "In Shiite villages across [Bahrain]..., the Sunni Muslim government has bulldozed dozens of mosques as part of a crackdown on Shiite dissidents, an assault on human rights that is breathtaking in its expansiveness. Authorities have held secret trials where protesters have been sentenced to death, arrested prominent mainstream opposition politicians, jailed nurses and doctors who treated injured protesters, seized the health care system that had been run primarily by Shiites, fired 1,000 Shiite professionals and canceled their pensions, detained students and teachers who took part in the protests, beat and arrested journalists, and forced the closure of the only opposition newspaper.... The Obama administration has said nothing in public about the destruction [of the mosques]."

Anne Kornblut of the Washington Post: President Obama will fold the killing of Osama bin Laden into his "doing big things" re-election campaign message.

Backfire! Peter Schroeder of The Hill: "A promise by Senate Republicans to block anyone President Obama nominates to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has increased the likelihood that Elizabeth Warren will get the job. The president has little choice but to use his recess powers given the position of Senate Republicans, said Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), one of the Wall Street reform bill’s chief architects."

Economist Dean Baker of the Center for Economic & Policy Research on the brilliance of the Washington Post edtorial board: "The Post once again showed why it is known as 'Fox on 15th Street,' running an editorial with the subhead, 'tackling the spector of structural unemployment,' which essentially offers nothing to address the problem. The piece got off to a bad start.... But, as usual, it gets worse.... Can someone get these people an intro econ textbook?" ...

... Fellow economist Mark Thoma agrees with Baker & highlights the Post editors' stupidest "solution" of all:

The costs, human and economic, of high unemployment are heartbreaking. But it will take a measure of patience as well as a sense of urgency to prevent it from becoming a permanent feature of the U.S. economic landscape. [emphasis added]

     ... That's right, folks. Hurry up and be patient!

William Yardley of the New York Times: "As some states seek to increase regulation but also further protect and institutionalize medical marijuana, federal prosecutors are suddenly asserting themselves, authorizing raids and sending strongly worded letters that have cast new uncertainty on an issue that has long brimmed with tension between federal and state law." CW: no time to crack down on Wall Street banksters when we have these wanton potheads to bring to justice.

Right Wing World *

Roll Over, John Lennon:

Antidote: 1969 Recording Session:


...the only reason that taxing the rich has to be 'on the table' is pure jealousy. Is jealousy really a good public policy? -- Douglas Holtz-Eakin, hired hand of the rich (via Blue Texan of Firedoglake) ...

... "Federal Tax Chutzpah." Paul Krugman: "The hired hands of the rich" are now arguing that because the rich have gotten richer, they now have to pay more tax on their additional wealth, and that's not fair.

* Where facts never intrude.

Local News

Michael Bender of the Saint Petersburg Times: "Out-of-work Floridians would receive fewer state benefits while businesses pay less tax under a controversial proposal approved Friday by a divided Legislature. The deal, which Gov. Rick Scott is expected to sign into law, immediately cuts unemployment benefits by 11.5 percent. Jobless Floridians would continue to receive a maximum payment of $275 per week, among the lowest of any state in the country. But they would be paid for no more than 23 weeks, instead of 26." CW: Florida has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation.

News Ledes

Reuters: Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) "on Sunday called for a 'no-ride list' for Amtrak trains after intelligence gleaned from the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound pointed to potential attacks on the nation's train system. Sen. ... Schumer said he would push as well for added funding for rail security and commuter and passenger train track inspections and more monitoring of stations nationwide."

AP: U.S. National Security Adviser Tom Donilon said on "Meet the Press" today that "the United States wants access to Osama bin Laden's three widows and any intelligence material its commandos left behind at the al-Qaida leader's compound.... Information from the women, who remained in the house after the commandos killed bin Laden, might answer questions about whether Pakistan harbored the al-Qaida chief as many American officials are speculating. It could also reveal details about the day-to-day life of bin Laden, his actions since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and the inner workings of al-Qaida." New York Times story here. ...

... AP: National security adviser Tom Donilon "says the material seized from Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan amounts to the largest cache of intelligence ever gathered from any single terrorist."

Al Jazeera: "At least 10 people have been killed and 186 others wounded in clashes between Muslims and Christians in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. Egypt's prime minister called an emergency cabinet meeting on Sunday to discuss the violence, a day after witnesses said a mob of people from the conservative Salafi trend of Islam marched on a Coptic church in the northwestern neighbourhood of Imbaba. The march began over an apparent relationship between a Coptic Christian woman and a Muslim man, amid reports that the woman was being held inside against her will and prevented from converting to Islam."

Al Jazeera: "The most senior member of al-Qaeda in Iraq has been shot dead during clashes between officers and prisoners inside a jail in Baghdad, officials say. Abu Huzaifa Al Batawi, the leader of the Islamic state of Iraq - the most powerful al-Qaeda faction in the country - was killed along with up to 15 others after detainees tried to overpower their guards on Sunday.... Officials say Al Batawi grabbed the gun of a prison guard as he was being moved through the prison compound. He managed to kill several police officers before he was shot dead."

Al Jazeera: "Italian police and coastguard officials rescued some 400 African migrants coming from Libya after their boat was tossed against rocks off the tiny island of Lampedusa. Images of the rescue showed people jumping in panick or falling into the choppy waters as their boat heaved in the waves on Sunday."