The Ledes

Monday, March 3, 2025

New York Times: “Pope Francis had two acute respiratory crises on Monday, the Vatican said, stoking further concerns about the health of the 88-year old pontiff, who has been hospitalized in Rome in serious condition for more than two weeks. The pope has been undergoing treatment for double pneumonia and a complex infection in a Rome hospital, and his condition has been alternating between improvements and setbacks.”

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.

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....”

 

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The Conversation -- June 9, 2024

Nadeen Ebrahim of CNN: Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz has resigned from Benjamin Netanyahu's government, delivering a blow to the prime minister who has been celebrating the rare rescue of hostages held in Gaza. 'Netanyahu prevents us from moving forward to a real victory [in Gaza],' Gantz said in a televised statement Sunday in which he described leaving the government as a 'complex and painful' decision.... He accused Netanyahu of putting his own personal political considerations ahead of a post-war strategy for the Gaza Strip, claiming that 'fateful strategic decisions are met with hesitancy and procrastination due to political considerations,' and urged the prime minister to hold an election in the coming months."

Notorious Crime Boss Donnie Short-Fingers Has Probation Hearing Monday. Adam Reiss, et al., of NBC News: "Former President Trump is scheduled to sit for a virtual interview on Monday with a New York City probation officer from his home at Mar-a-Lago with his attorney Todd Blanche at his side.... The probation interview is required by the court as part of the former president's pre-sentencing report. Judge Juan Merchan, who is presiding over the hush money case, permitted Blanche to be present for the probation interview after prosecutors did not object.... Martin Horn, former commissioner of the New York City Department of Corrections and Probation..., noted that the typical purpose of a probation interview is to obtain information on Trump's social and criminal history, financial resources, history of mental health, physical or addiction issues as well as to assess his living situation. Trump could also be asked if he is associating with anyone with a criminal record because he cannot associate with them if he is placed on probation, Horn said." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I suppose this will be the first time in history that the answer to, "Do you associate with known criminals?" will be, "Almost everyone I know is a criminal, but then I pardoned them all." Of course there's still Steve Bannon, Peter Navarro, Ken Chesebro, Jenna Ellis, et. al, whose most recent crimes Trump couldn't pardon since he lost his pardoning privileges.

Bad News in France. Roger Cohen & Aurelien Breeden of the New York Times: "President Emmanuel Macron of France, battered by a crushing defeat to the extreme right in European elections, dissolved the lower house of Parliament on Sunday and called for legislative elections beginning on June 30. His decision, announced in a television broadcast to the nation, was a measure of the devastating nature of the European Parliament election result, which gave the National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen and her wildly popular protégé, Jordan Bardella, about 31.5 percent of the vote, to about 15.2 percent for Mr. Macron's Renaissance party. It became the leading party in France by some distance. 'The rise of nationalists and demagogues is a danger for our nation and for Europe,' Mr. Macron said. 'After this day I cannot go on as though nothing has happened.'"Politico's story is here.

Bad News All Over Europe. Matina Stevis-Gridneff of the New York Times: “Elections in 27 countries for the European Parliament ended on Sunday with early projections giving far-right parties a strong showing, a result that, if confirmed, would amount to a powerful gauge of voter dissatisfaction and a stinging rebuke for the political mainstream.... The results are likely to make it harder for the European Parliament to form majorities to pass laws, and would render negotiations over divisive issues even tougher. More broadly, they underscored that the momentum of the far-right forces that have been expanding their challenge to centrists over the past decade had yet to crest." Politico's story is here. ~~~

~~~ CNN's live updates of developments in the European elections are here.

Biden Pays Respects to Soldiers Trump Called "Suckers" & "Losers" Toluse Olorunnipa, et al., of the Washington Post: "President Biden visited an American cemetery in France on Sunday, a somber setting that allowed him to pay his respects to fallen soldiers while reminding voters of one of the most controversial moments of Donald Trump's presidency. Biden's stop at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery -- a site Trump skipped during a 2018 trip after reportedly calling those buried there 'suckers' and 'losers' -- capped a five-day trip to France in which the president did not say his predecessor's name in public but nonetheless sought to make clear the sharp differences that exist between the two men and their presidencies.... The visit was part of a mounting effort by Biden and his campaign to resurface the worst memories of Trump's turbulent four years in office -- a push that has run squarely into a phenomenon pollsters have branded 'Trump amnesia.'"

~~~~~~~~~~

Marie: The most stunning thing to me about the D-Day memorials this past week was how willing, how eager even, millions of Americans are to give it all away, to reject democratic ideals and to adopt a fascist-type government where only the few have individual rights, and even they could lose those rights at the whim of a dictator.

Roger Cohen of the New York Times: "Beneath the crystal chandeliers of the gilded reception hall of the Élysée Palace..., President Emmanuel Macron of France hosted President Biden on Saturday night at a state dinner intended to celebrate a very old alliance and demonstrate that the bond is greater than its intermittent frictions.... Under ... Macron, 'culinary diplomacy' is back on the menu, with a lavish dinner fortifying an old alliance at a tense historical moment."

Presidential Race

If you're 60 years old, 69.1% of all job growth since your birth occurred under Democratic administrations. If you're 45 years old, that number is 74.7%. If you're under 30 years old, the number is 100%. -- Democratic Coalition

I'm not 100% sure this is true, but the post includes a Bureau of Labor Stats chart that, assuming it has not been altered, sure makes the assertion look true. If I'm wrong, please correct me. -- Marie

Jazmine Ulloa of the New York Times: "In one of her first campaign appearances since ... Donald J. Trump was convicted of falsifying business records, Vice President Kamala Harris sharply criticized him on Saturday.... 'Simply put, Donald Trump thinks he is above the law,' she said [in Detroit]. 'This should be disqualifying for anyone who wants to be president of the United States.'... Ms. Harris, the former top prosecutor of California, accused Mr. Trump of attacking 'the foundations of our justice system.' She said that the former president was convicted by a jury of 12 Americans who were selected in part by his defense team, and that his lawyers had a chance to present their side of the evidence. 'You know why he complains? Because the reality is cheaters don't like getting caught,' she said." The Vice President also addressed the war in Gaza in her remarks. When a protester interrupted her, "Ms. Harris's response was stern: 'I value and respect your voice, but I’m speaking right now.'"

David Smith of the Guardian: "Democrats will target Donald Trump's first full-scale campaign rally since his criminal trial with a billboard that brands him 'a convicted white-collar crook'. The ad, paid for by the Democratic National Committee (DNC), is the latest indication that the party is ready to become more aggressive in capitalising on last month's guilty verdict.... 'Trump was a disaster for Nevada's economy,' says the billboard, which will be displayed in Las Vegas, where Trump is due to speak on Sunday. 'Now he's back. A convicted white-collar crook. Coddling billionaires, leaving workers behind.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~

~~~ Michael Gold of the New York Times: "This week, with ... Donald J. Trump holding campaign events in the Southwest, his team is grappling with an extreme heat wave that has threatened the health of some of his most ardent fans. On Thursday, Mr. Trump went to Phoenix for a campaign event at a megachurch, where hopeful attendees waited for hours to enter as the temperature climbed above 110 degrees. The heat was so scorching that some of those waiting collapsed, and 11 people were taken to hospitals to be treated for heat exhaustion. The Trump campaign is taking steps to avoid similar circumstances on Sunday, when Mr. Trump is scheduled to speak at an outdoor rally at noon at a park in Las Vegas. Forecasts expect the temperature to be around 105 degrees.... Periods of extreme heat have grown more frequent, longer and more intense as climate change has warmed the planet. Mr. Trump has downplayed the threat of climate change...."

American Doomsday Scenario. Charlie Savage, Jonathan Swan & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: "If Trump Wins.... Here are some of his plans for cracking down on immigration, directing the Justice Department to prosecute his adversaries, increasing presidential power, upending America's trade policies, retreating militarily from Europe and unilaterally deploying troops to Democratic-run cities." ~~~

~~~ Trump's Plan to Raise Prices. Charlie Savage, et al., of the New York Times: "... Donald J. Trump routinely blames President Biden for higher prices ... and promises to 'fix it.' But ... several of his policies ... would instead put new upward pressure on prices, according to interviews with half a dozen economists. Mr. Trump says he plans the 'largest domestic deportation in American history,' which would most likely increase the cost of labor. He intends to impose a new tariff on nearly all imported goods, which would probably raise their prices and those of any domestic-made competitors. And he not only wants to make permanent the entire deficit-financed tax cut law he and congressional Republicans enacted in 2017, but also to add some kind of new 'big tax cut' for individuals and businesses, which would stimulate an economy already at full employment."

Beth Reinhard of the Washington Post: "A battle-tested D.C. bureaucrat and self-described Christian nationalist is drawing up detailed plans for a sweeping expansion of presidential power in a second Trump administration. Russ Vought, who served as the former president's budget chief, calls his political strategy for razing long-standing guardrails 'radical constitutionalism.' He has helped craft proposals for Donald Trump to deploy the military to quash civil unrest, seize more control over the Justice Department and assert the power to withhold congressional appropriations -- and that's just on Trump's first day back in office. Vought, 48, is poised to steer this agenda from an influential perch in the White House, potentially as Trump's chief of staff.... Vought aims to harness what he calls the 'woke and weaponized' bureaucracy that stymied the former president by stocking federal agencies with hardcore disciples who would wage culture wars on abortion and immigration." (Also linked yesterday.)


Robert Jimison of the New York Times: 'The House Ethics Committee has begu reviewing Representative Nancy Mace's use of a reimbursement program for lodging and other expenses of Congress members working in Washington.... Following a complaint, lawmakers are being asked to look into whether Ms. Mace, Republican of South Carolina, overcharged the program thousands of dollars for expenses related to her Washington townhouse.... According to the latest report by the Committee on House Administration, Ms. Mace was repaid more than $23,000 in lodging costs in 2023. Documents reviewed by The New York Times showed that amount included expenses for insurance, taxes and other monthly bills related to her townhouse.... But according to the deed of her home and a person familiar with Ms Mace's personal expenses, she is a partial owner of the home with her former fiancé, and would not be permitted to seek repayment for the full costs associated with the shared home."

~~~~~~~~~

Texas. Matthew Choi of the Texas Tribune: "U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar's corruption trial will take place next year after Election Day, according to a court order Friday. The Laredo Democrat was indicted last month on charges of bribery, money laundering and illegally working on behalf of the Azerbaijani government. His trial was scheduled to kick off in July, but now will not begin until spring 2025.... Jury selection is scheduled to begin March 31, 2025. Both federal prosecutors and Cuellar's team asked to delay the trial. Judge Lee Rosenthal, a seasoned judge appointed by President George H.W. Bush, approved their request. The trial will take place in federal court in Houston."

~~~~~~~~~<

Israel/Palestine, et al.

Benjamin Brown, et al., of CNN: "Four hostages have been freed in a special operation in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, Israel's military says, as Palestinian officials reported more than 100 people killed in strikes in the same area. Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan, Andrey Kozlov, and Shlomi Ziv, were rescued by the Israeli military, intelligence and special forces from two separate locations in Nuseirat, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Saturday. All four were kidnapped from the Nova music festival on October 7, according to the IDF.” (Also linked yesterday.) The New York Times story is here. MB: Despite the upbeat nature of these stories, this is not a happy hostage rescue story, IMO. As many as 200 Palestinians were killed and many more were wounded. ~~~

~~~ The Washington Post's headline is more realistic: "At least 236 Palestinians killed during Israeli raid to rescue 4 hostages." The Post's live updates of developments Sunday are here: "The death toll from an Israeli raid on the Nuseirat refugee camp has risen to 236 Palestinians, Gazan health officials said Sunday. Israel's Saturday raid, one of the bloodiest in the war, on the central Gazan camp freed four hostages. Visuals from Gaza showed roads strewn with debris and grievously wounded Palestinians, some without limbs.... Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas instructed his U.N. representative to request an emergency meeting of the Security Council over the deadly raid on Nuseirat, the Palestinian U.N. mission said on X, adding that Abbas has been in contact with Arab and international stakeholders." ~~~

     ~~~ Another WashPo headline is more jarring: "For Israel, a rare day of joy among bloodshed."

Comments Off

Reader Comments (7)

Just wondering…

Way out west, where treason lovers wait in line for hours in scorching heat brought on by a phenomenon they don’t believe in, to listen to a doddering idiot rant, rave, and lie about his loserdom and how he’s a-gonna get him some revenge… have local PoT apparatchiks passed laws making it illegal for anyone to bring them water while they wait?

No?

Hmmm…funny how that works.

June 9, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

Marie wrote:

“The most stunning thing to me about the D-Day memorials this past week was how willing, how eager even, millions of Americans are to give it all away, to reject democratic ideals and to adopt a fascist-type government where only the few have individual rights, and even they could lose those rights at the whim of a dictator”

Somewhere the shade of Hitler is thinking “ Scheiße! I could have conquered America with this dummkopf? And here I went to all that trouble of starting a war!? At least he’s a good Nazi. And I see the best friend of a Supreme Court Justice owns a copy of my book. Wunderbar! Eva, kommen Sie hier! Look. I win after all! And this schwachsinnige Trump did it for me.”

June 9, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

"How eager millions of Americans are to give it all away (democratic
ideals).
Millions of Americans have never read a book. They have no idea
what went down in Europe over eighty years ago.
I think Hitler's motto should have been "win them over with kindness,
then screw them over with bayonets."

June 9, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterForrestMorris"

Forrest: that is a scary thing to contemplate, that millions have never read a book...but millions have seen war movies-- surely they know SOMETHING...I agree that there are holocaust deniers too-- and that millions are just plain undereducated and simply too stupid to think about ideas and concepts, and they are all relying on the "experts" like this guy bent on destroying democracy.

RAS-- We at RC have been complaining about the MSM headlines now for years. I suspect some of those headline writers are amongst the millions who haven't read a book. English as a language is given no importance anymore. Many publications, including the one I gave 23 years to, are not after truth, education, grammar or ease of providing context and accuracy with regard to the pieces below the clickbait headlines. Proofreaders and editors have very few jobs, really. As a proofer, I started out thinking the clients whose ads we were providing as coupons would want accuracy and understanding of the headlines. As I continued, bit by bit, we were to leave some of the things we read or saw that needed correction, because the clients did not care. Even punctuation, which is a need for understanding a phrase or sentence, fell under the knife. I can't speak to "bothsidesing" of everything these days, but accuracy is still a real blindspot. It's no wonder that linguistic idiots are reading lies-- they really can't read and the publications don't care. UGH.

June 9, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterJeanne

Jeanne,

I don’t think it’s that millions aren’t reading at all. The difference is what they’re reading. For the most part, books, at least those published by reputable publishers (ie, not obviously highly ideological operations whose primary goal is to push propaganda, eg, Regnery and other right-wing shills who publish stuff by people like Dinesh D’Souza and other pro-authoritarian fascists) have to go through (or should) a certain amount of editorial oversight and fact checking. That’s not to say that even reputable publishers will go out of their way to correct bullshit by big name liars…

But internet trolls and people pushing their lies on X and Facebook (or Meta, or whatever it’s called now) and those using other online outlets have zero oversight and less accountability.

If you get your “news” from X or Instagram, it’s likely to be highly edited videos of Biden tripping while walking down a ramp, and heroic imagery of Fatty with all the mistakes and garbled word salad edited out.

If these people are reading anything on corporate media sites, they’re skimming headlines, which makes the bullshit Both Sides ledes so dangerous. Sites like the Times routinely play up perceived Biden gaffes and play down or never even mention the worst Trump crap, like his repeated promises for revenge.

Plus books take time. The best non-fiction books are well written with a base of solid, corroborated research behind their conclusions. But books also require critical thought. An internet headline like “Trump screwed by rigged trial ordered by Biden! Aieee! Revolution! Kill!” does not.

Plenty of idiots read, but this is the sort of stuff they seek out. Thinking not required. Only loaded weapons and overloaded minds.

June 9, 2024 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus
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