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....”

 

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Feb182024

The Conversation -- February 19, 2024

Mad Dog Jim Comer should hire contributor RAS to his investigative staff. Comer has spent more than a year trying to link Joe Biden to Hunter Biden's various international business schemes. One after another of Comer's claims of sensational evidence has collapsed. But today, RAS finally found a real Biden family scandal, one involving attempted murder, a knife fight & a suspect presidential pardon by historians' favorite president: ~~~

~~~ CBS/AFP: "Abraham Lincoln pardoned President Biden's great-great-grandfather after a late-night Civil War-era brawl, documents reportedly show.... The court-martial records in the U.S. National Archives ... detail the trial of Moses J. Robinette after a fight with fellow Union Army civilian employee John J. Alexander on March 21, 1864. Robinette was charged with attempted murder after the tussle in the Army of the Potomac's winter camp in Virginia, when Alexander overheard him saying something about him to a cook, and rushed at him. The two men scuffled, and Robinette drew his pocketknife, leaving Alexander with several cuts before others intervened.... The 42-year-old, who had been hired by the Army as a veterinary surgeon, insisted that Alexander 'possibly might have injured me seriously had I not resorted to the means I did.' But military judges convicted him and sentenced him to two years' hard labor. Three Army officers petitioned Lincoln to overturn his conviction, claiming the sentence was unduly harsh and that Robinette had been defending himself against someone 'much his superior in strength and size.' Lincoln agreed, and signed the pardon on Sept. 1 that same year." ~~~

      ~~~ The Washington Post story, by historian David Gerleman, is here and includes more details.

Mad Dog Comer Will Not Let Go of Imaginary Bone. Glenn Kessler of the Washington Post: Rep. Jim "Comer (R- Ky.) has suggested that two Ukraine-related documents referenced in special counsel Robert K. Hur's report concerning Joe Biden's handling of classified documents might have ended up informing or been part of emails found on the laptop that the president's son Hunter left at a computer repair shop in Delaware.... Notwithstanding Comer's hyperbolic statements on television, it would be incorrect to suggest that the Ukraine documents in the Hur report indicate Hunter Biden had access to classified information or distributed classified information to 'our enemies' in exchange for cash. These documents simply are on the same subject -- Ukraine. But as we have shown, the Hur report says they are not especially secret or important. As Emily Litella would say: 'Never mind.'" MB: Comer's new claim, of course, comes after the FBI charged his supposed star witness last week with lying to investigators about having information that would compromise President Biden.

Ramon Vargas of the Guardian: "The late-night talkshow host John Oliver has offered to pay Clarence Thomas $1m annually -- as well as give him a $2m tour bus -- if the Republican judge resigns from the US supreme court. Oliver made the proposal on Sunday's episode of his HBO show Last Week Tonight, saying the supreme court justice had 30 days to accept or it would expire.... 'Lot on your plate right now, from stripping away women's rights to hearing January 6 cases .. and you deserve a break, you know, away from the meanness of Washington. So you can be surrounded by the regular folks whose lives you made demonstrably worse for decades.'"

~~~~~~~~~~

Historians Agree: Trump Is the Worse Ever. Peter Baker of the New York Times: "A new poll of historians coming out on Presidents' Day weekend ranks Mr. Biden as the 14th-best president in American history, just ahead of Woodrow Wilson, Ronald Reagan and Ulysses S. Grant. While that may not get Mr. Biden a spot on Mount Rushmore, it certainly puts him well ahead of Mr. Trump, who places dead last as the worst president ever." Emphasis added. MB: Ha ha. The Fox "News" headline is, "New Presidential Rankings Place Obama in Top 10, Reagan and Trump Below Biden." No, that's Trump below everybody, including James Buchanan & Andrew Johnson.

Mariana Alfaro of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump, who earlier this month set off worries among allies after he said he would encourage Russia to invade a NATO country that wasn't spending enough on defense, has remained largely silent on the death of Alexei Navalny, only appearing to suggest baselessly that he is being persecuted in the way Russian President Vladimir Putin's most potent political opponent was.... [Trump] has made multiple public appearances since Russia announced Navalny's death in a faraway Arctic penal colony on Friday. But he has not publicly condemned the dissident's shocking death.... Unlike many other U.S. and international leaders, Trump has not criticized Putin's jailing of Navalny or mourned his untimely death. Instead..., on a post [he] shared Sunday afternoon on Truth Social, his social media site, [he wrote]: 'Biden:Trump::Putin:Navalny.'" MB: This is a sickening insult not only to Navalny but to every political prisoner & victim of politically-inspired torture and assassination around the world. ~~~

~~~ Jack Forrest of CNN: "GOP former Rep. Liz Cheney on Sunday warned of a Republican Party 'Putin-wing' after ... Donald Trump responded to the death of outspoken Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny without actually mentioning him or Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'We have to take seriously the extent to which you've now got a Putin-wing of the Republican Party. I believe the issue this election cycle is making sure that the Putin-wing of the Republican Party does not take over the West Wing of the White House,' Cheney told CNN's Jake Tapper on 'State of the Union.'... Trump ... said nothing directly about Navalny in a post that his campaign said was his official response to the opposition leader's death -- instead posting more than 20 times about a variety of topics including his criminal cases and his political opponents.... 'He's basically made clear that under a Trump administration, the United States is unlikely to keep its NATO commitments,' Cheney said. She called Trump's comments 'dangerous' and said they show 'a complete lack of understanding of America's role in the world.'"

The Trials of Trump & the Trump Gang

Individual-I Goes to Court. David Corn of Mother Jones: "Since the beginning of Donald Trump's indictment-o-rama, the politerati have considered the criminal case filed in New York City against the former president by District Attorney Alvin Bragg to be a sideshow. Though this case has key elements of a bona fide scandal -- porn star! hush money! alleged extramarital affair! -- pundits and politicos have struck a dismissive attitude toward Trump's Stormy Daniels mess and the legal peril it poses him.... But this prosecution ought not to be diminished. It also involves alleged criminal actions taken to influence an election -- or prevent an election from being influenced by Daniels' claim that Trump had a tryst with her.... The Justice Department and a federal court have already declared that a crime occurred in the commission of this $130,000 payoff.... Of his many alleged crimes, it may not be the greatest. But it may be the Trumpiest." Read the whole report. Corn gives details of how the case came about, including some highly-suspect meddling by then-AG Bill Barr.

Sarah Fortinsky of the Hill: "Michael Cohen -- who long served as former President Trump's personal lawyer and fixer -- warned Sunday of the potential risk of sending Trump back to the White House with mounting legal fees and financial liabilities. 'We need to be very careful about him as a potential president because he is for sale,' Cohen, now an outspoken critic of the former president, said in an interview on MSNBC's 'The Weekend' on Sunday.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: That's why it is so hilarious that Trump is accusing Fulton County, Georgia DA Fani Willis of corruption because she took some dutch-treat vacations with her lover, whom she hired as a prosecutor in the RICO case against Trump and his co-conspirators. ~~~

     ~~~ MEANWHILE, if you were hoping to snag a pair of those tacky shiny-gold hightop Trump sneakers the Greatest Grifter hawked over the weekend for the low-low price of $399, you're too late. The first run of 1,000 has sold out. Sad! (WashPo link) ~~~

     ~~~ Paul Campos of LG&$: "As for commentary, I defer to P.T. Barnum and H.L. Mencken."

Presidential Race

Alexandra Marquez of NBC News: “Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., is urging Democrats in Dearborn, Michigan, to vote against President Joe Biden in the state's upcoming Democratic primary. 'If you want us to be louder, then come here and vote uncommitted,' Tlaib said in a new video posted to social media on Saturday while standing outside an early voting location. She joined growing calls from progressive activists in Michigan to vote 'uncommitted' in the state's Democratic presidential primary on Feb. 27 instead of voting for Biden." MB: I have tried to be supportive of Tlaib, even though she's expressed some fairly radical ideas in the past. I'm done with her now. Only a nitwit would think it was a good idea to weaken the one guy who can keep Donald Trump out of the White House.


Annals of "Journalism," Ctd. If It Bleeds, It Leads. Sarah Ellison of the Washington Post: "... on Sinclair [Broadcasting]'s growing nationwide roster of stations, the editorial focus reflects [CEO David] Smith's conservative views and plays on its audience's fears that America's cities are falling apart.... Sinclair's local network of 185 stations across the country makes it an influential player in shaping the views of millions of Americans, especially at a time when local newspapers are rapidly being gutted -- or closed altogether.... Sinclair stations deliver messages that appeal to older, White, suburban audiences, and they play up crime stories in a way that is disproportionate to their statistical presence,' said [journalist] Anne Nelson...."

~~~~~~~~~~

Israel/Palestine, et al. The Washington Post's live updates Monday of developments in the Israel/Hamas war are here: "The top U.N. court is set to begin public hearings Monday into the legality of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory.... The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote this week on a resolution drafted by Algeria that calls for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. Washington ... has said it won't support the measure.... Israel's government approved a declaration Sunday that says the country won't recognize a Palestinian state.... Nasser Hospital, the largest medical facility in southern Gaza, 'is not functional anymore,' the head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said Sunday, after days of Israeli raids."

Russia. Valerie Hopkins of the New York Times: "For the second day in a row, mourners walked purposefully along Moscow's snow-heaped Garden Ring on Saturday carrying bouquets to lay at one of the improvised memorials to Aleksei A. Navalny, the Russian opposition figure who perished in a prison colony the day before. The flowers, wrapped in paper to shield them from the icy wind, were not only a symbol of mourning. They also served as a form of protest in a country where even the mildest dissent can risk detention.... At least 400 people have been detained across Russia since Mr. Navalny's death was announced on Friday, according to the human rights group OVD-Info. Among them was a priest, Father Grigory Mikhnov-Vaitenko, who had been scheduled to hold a memorial service for Mr. Navalny in St. Petersburg."

Ukraine, et al. Mike Johnson, Putin's Puppet's Puppet, at Fault. Samya Kullab of the AP: "Dwindling ammunition threatens Ukraine's hold on the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line under withering assault by Russian artillery. Defensive lines are in jeopardy. Ukrainian forces withdrew from the city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region on Saturday after daily Russian onslaughts from three directions for the last four months.... The Associated Press interviewed over a dozen commanders, including heads of artillery units, in the war's most intense combat zones in the weeks ahead of Avdiivka's fall. They said shortages, which have always plagued Ukrainian forces since the full-scale invasion, grew acute last autumn.... The Biden administration linked the loss of Avdiivka to Congressional inaction on $60 billion in military aid for Ukraine.... When reporters asked if he was confident a deal could be struck before Ukraine loses more territory, [President] Biden responded: 'I'm not.'"

News Lede

New York Times: Two men “were charged with murder for the death of a bystander [at the Kansas City, Mo., Super Bowl celebration], prosecutors announced on Tuesday. Ballistics tests revealed that a bullet from Mr. Miller's gun killed Elizabeth Galvan, 43, a D.J. and radio host known as Lisa, who was at the parade on Wednesday with her family, prosecutors said. Two dozen people were wounded by gunfire, including nine children.... Surveillance video from the area, as described in charging documents from prosecutors, showed one group of people staring at one man, and a verbal argument ensuing. More people nearby joined the argument, and as it continued, the people who were involved began to produce firearms. The authorities said that [one of the men charged, Dominic] Miller, was seen in the video appearing to fire shots, then was struck by a bullet in his lower back, causing him to fall to the ground. He then ran away, the charging documents say, shouting 'I'm shot, I'm shot.' A bystander saw that Mr. Miller was carrying a black firearm near his waistband, and tackled and disarmed him, the authorities said.... Ballistics tests revealed that a bullet from Mr. Miller's gun killed Elizabeth Galvan...." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: This shooting spree started, according to the report, "with one man accusing another of staring at him." Staring. You may be shot dead if you happen to be in the vicinity of a person who is perceived as looking askance at another person. Do not tell me it is safe to live in Missouri. Or where I live. But, hey, Second Fucking Amendment.

Comments Off

Reader Comments (9)

There has to be a category lower than 'worst president.'

Worstest, most worst, worstpathetic, worstanus.

And lower than Reagan is really low.

February 19, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterForrestMorris

I herr trump is able to sell all those shoes for $399.00 per pair, he
should be thanking President Biden for the excellent job he's doing
on the economy so his MAGAs can now afford his overpriced
sneakers, even the ones on welfare.

February 19, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterForrestMorris

Alabama supreme court has ruled that frozen embryos are children
after someone in a hospital dropped some on the floor and they
were then no longer viable.
Does this mean that if I buy some frozen embryos I can take a tax
deduction for child dependents?
Will Embryos Inc. end up on the New York Stock Exchange?

https://www.al.com/news/mobile/2024/02/frozen-embryos-are-children-alabama-supreme-court-rules-in-reviving-couples-wrongful-
death-suits.html

February 19, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterForrestMorris

Forrest,

What will the Supreme Alabamans rule next?

February 19, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterD in MD

@Forrest Morris: According to the theory of the case, the person who dropped the embryos was not a hospital staffer but a patient who "eloped" from his/her room.

It seems to me the hospital was likely negligent in not keeping the cryogenic facility locked. This looks like a case that will settle.

February 19, 2024 | Registered CommenterMarie Burns

@Marie: I was being facetious (again). I do realize it is serious,
especially to the couple involved.

February 19, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterForrestMorris

But… but… if a frozen embryo is a child, then isn’t keeping them locked up forever a case of false imprisonment? Not to mention child abuse?

February 19, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterD in DC

Biden Pardon Scandal

"Abraham Lincoln pardoned President Biden's great-great-grandfather after a late-night Civil War-era brawl, documents reportedly show, linking the two presidents across the centuries. The court-martial records in the U.S. National Archives, reported on by the Washington Post on Monday, detail the trial of Moses J. Robinette after a fight with fellow Union Army civilian employee John J. Alexander on March 21, 1864."

February 19, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterRAS

Wait…so Biden can be bashed for an altercation that happened 160 odd years ago, but how dare anyone point to slave owning, and slavery supporting predecessors of current racist members of Congress. I mean, isn’t this why the Party of Racist Traitors insist that history they deem uncomfortable be disallowed? Oh…unless they can use history to fuck those they hate.

Got it.

February 19, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus
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