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Friday, February 28, 2025

New York Times: “Boris Spassky, the world chess champion whose career was overshadowed by his loss to Bobby Fischer in the 'Match of the Century' in 1972, died on Thursday in Moscow. He was 88.”

New York Times: “The actor Gene Hackman was found dead in a mud room in his New Mexico home and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, was found dead on the floor of a bathroom on Wednesday, according to a search warrant affidavit. An open prescription bottle and scattered pills were discovered near her body on a counter in the bathroom. A dead German shepherd was found between 10 and 15 feet away from Ms. Arakawa in a closet of the bathroom, the affidavit said. There were no obvious signs of a gas leak in the home, it said, and the Fire Department did not find signs of a carbon monoxide leak. The maintenance workers who found them said they had not been in contact with the couple for two weeks. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on Thursday afternoon that 'there were no apparent signs of foul play.'... The causes of their deaths had not been determined.”

Help!

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....”

 

Contact Marie

Email Marie at constantweader@gmail.com

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Monday
Jan102011

Tucson Shootings -- January 11

Paul Davenport of the AP: "Arizona legislators planned to consider emergency legislation Tuesday to head off picketing by a Topeka, Kan., church at the funeral service for a 9-year-old girl who was among six people killed during Saturday's shooting in Tucson. The proposed law would prohibit protests at or near funeral sites. It would take effect immediately if passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jan Brewer," who says she will sign it. "The Westboro Baptist Church said Monday it plans to picket Thursday's funeral for Christina Taylor Green because 'God sent the shooter to deal with idolatrous America.'"

"Armed Giffords Hero Nearly Shot Wrong Man." William Saleton of Slate: "... what do gun advocates propose? More guns.... The new poster boy for this agenda is Joe Zamudio, a hero in the Tucson incident. Zamudio was in a nearby drug store when the shooting began, and he was armed. He ran to the scene and helped subdue the killer.... 'I came out of that store, I clicked the safety off, and I was ready,' [Zamudio] explained on Fox and Friends. 'I had my hand on my gun. I had it in my jacket pocket....' As he rounded the corner, he saw a man holding a gun. 'And that's who I at first thought was the shooter.... I told him to "Drop it, drop it!'" But the man with the gun wasn't the shooter. He had wrested the gun away from the shooter." Saleton elaborates details of the encounter to show "how close [Zamudio] came to killing an innocent man."

The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence posts an "Insurrectionism Timeline": "On June 26, 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court embraced the National Rifle Association's contention that the Second Amendment provides individuals with the right to take violent action against our government should it become 'tyrannical.' The ... timeline catalogues incidents of insurrectionist violence (or the promotion of such violence) that have occurred since that decision was issued."

Jennifer Medina on Suzi Hileman, one of the shooting victims who is recovering in University Medical Center from three bullet wounds. Hileman had taken 9-year-old Christina Green to meet Rep. Giffords.

Today doctors at University Medical Center discuss the status of Rep. Giffords & others:

Arizona Republic: "Doctors caring for U.S. Rep Gabrielle Giffords said this morning she is breathing on her own and is otherwise recovering from a devastating head wound she suffered when a gunman opened fire at point-blank range. In addition to Giffords, five patients remain in the hospital with three listed in serious condition and two in fair condition...." ...

... Tucson Sentinel: "Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is '100 percent' certain to survive, said Dr. Peter Rhee, a surgeon treating her for a gunshot wound to the head. 'As a physician I'm going to get into a lot of trouble for this, but her prognosis for survival is 100 percent, as far as it being short term,' Rhee told Britain's Channel 4 News.... 'Hopefully she'll live to be 95 years old,' said Rhee, the medical director for University Medical Center's trauma center." ...

Last night Dr. Peter Rhee spoke to PBS "News Hours"' Judy Woodruff:

David Fahrenthold, et al., of the Washington Post: "As Loughner appeared in court, acquaintances in Arizona revealed new details about his past few years -- in which an increasingly erratic Loughner distanced himself from family members and friends and made decisions that sabotaged his ambitions." ...

... CBS News: "The parents of the suspect in the shooting rampage that left six people dead in Tucson, Ariz., released a statement Tuesday saying that they don't understand why the shooting happened and that they can't express their feelings in words.... Both parents have been interviewed extensively by the FBI.... Earlier, the parents told federal investigators they knew their son was becoming increasingly troubled but were not aware how much he had drifted and were 'completely surprised' that he actually committed a violent act." ...

... CBS/AP: Jared Loughner "wrote 'Die, bitch' in a note found at his home.... Investigators believe the handwritten message was a reference to Giffords.... The note was found in a safe alongside other ones, including 'I planned ahead,' 'My assassination' and the name 'Giffords.' ... On Saturday morning, Jared Loughner's father saw him take a black bag out of a car trunk.... The father approached Loughner, and he mumbled something and took off running.... The father got in his truck and chased his son as he fled on foot." ...

... Ben Smith links to a conspiracy theory Website which Loughner apparently frequented in November 2010. One of Smith's readers pointed to a conversation between Loughner & another user; the other person tells Loughner that he (Loughner) is "frankly schizophrenic" & urges him to "Seek help before you hurt yourself or others...." 

... Nick Baumann of Mother Jones: a friend of Loughner's, Bryce "Tierney tells Mother Jones ... that Loughner held a years-long grudge against Giffords and had repeatedly derided her as a 'fake.' Loughner's animus toward Giffords intensified after he attended one of her campaign events and she did not, in his view, sufficiently answer a question he had posed, Tierney says."

... Brigid Schulte of the Washington Post: "Under Arizona law, any one of Jared Lee Loughner's classmates or teachers at Pima Community College so concerned about his increasingly bizarre behavior could have contacted local officials and asked that he be evaluated for mental illness and potentially committed for psychiatric treatment. That, according to local mental health and law enforcement officials, never happened." ...

... If Schulte's reporting is correct, our crack Education Secretary doesn't know WTF he's talking about: Valerie Strauss of the Washington Post writes, "Education Secretary Arne Duncan said today that the community college that forced out the suspect in the Arizona shooting rampage because he was disruptive did what it could in handling the young man."

Adam Nagourney, et al., of the New York Times: "Today, the Eighth District stands apart as one of the most emotionally and politically polarized in the nation.... The shootings came after a disconcerting run of episodes in this district..., raising temperatures here in a way that some that some of Ms. Giffords’s friends argue fed an atmosphere that might encourage violence."

Michael Levenson of the Boston Globe: "On the 50th anniversary of one of President Kennedy’s most famous speeches, his great-nephew, Joseph P. Kennedy III, stood in the same spot in the Massachusetts House today and delivered his own address, decrying the vituperative political rhetoric that he said is tearing at the nation's fabric."

Michael Shear of the New York Times: "Former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday waded into the debate about America’s political rhetoric..., saying the tone of the national conversation must change. Speaking from Haiti on the one-year anniversary of the earthquake there, Mr. Clinton suggested that passionate political speech should not be directly blamed for the kind of violence that occurred in Tucson. But he said the angry back-and-forth of modern debate is not healthy." Here's the BBC print story & video. ...

... Jim Rutenberg & Kate Zernike of the New York Times: "... even some Republicans sympathetic to [Sarah] Palin suggested that she needed to find a more substantive and nuanced means of addressing the criticism [related to her targeting Rep. Giffords] to avert any risk to her political standing and to maintain control of her political narrative."

Peter Wallsten of the Washington Post: "Across the ideological spectrum, officials and activists agreed after Saturday's Tucson killings that it was time to soften the harsh edges of America's raucous national dialogue. But by Monday, a bitter debate had erupted over how to do it -- and on whose terms." CW: Newt Gingrich seems crazier than usual -- he brings up "liberals" and "radical Islam".

Jake Tapper & Diane Sawyer of ABC News on vitriolic rhetoric. Sheriff Dupnik lets Rush Limbaugh have it:

Alex Pareene of Salon: "The attempted assassination of a member of Congress seems depressingly like the inevitable conclusion of two years of hysterical revolutionary language suffusing every single domestic political debate." Pareene cites many examples of how the right has "normalized political violence." ...

... Adam Serwer in the Washington Post: "We need to be clear that we're not talking about the mere use of violent imagery -- but political rhetoric that implicitly or explicitly justifies actual violence." ...

Jon Stewart, who has been excoriating the MSM for years about hyperbolic pundits, on the same:

It would be really nice if the ramblings of crazy people didn't in any way resemble how we actually talk to each other on TV. Let's at least make troubled individuals easier to spot. -- Jon Stewart

 

Tim Smith of RobotCeleb explains the screenshot below: "Glenn Beck is trending like crazy after a photo of him holding a gun was randomly generated by his website. The kicker here is that Beck had just published an article stating 'We must stand together against all violence'”:

Joe Davidson of the Washington Post: "Rhetoric against federal workers has escalated from the day Ronald Reagan famously said ;government is the problem' to last week's comment by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) that 'the enemy is the bureaucracy.'" Davidson recounts recent acts of violence against federal employees.

Helene Cooper of the New York Times: "President Obama is, so far, keeping his distance from the debate over whether vitriolic political discourse contributed to the attack in Arizona... ." ...

... Two Times a Hero. Speaking to Shep Smith of Fox "News," Tucson shootings hero Patricia Maisch calls out right-wing and Republican party rhetoric, which she says she hopes will change in the wake of the shootings:

Eric Lipton, et al., of the New York Times: "House lawmakers are considering adopting an enhanced security system that would ease the way for members of Congress to get more comprehensive protection at public appearances in their home districts. Under the bipartisan proposal, the Capitol Police ... would formalize its relationship with local police and sheriffs’ departments ... and jointly develop more standardized plans to deal with varying threat levels for ... public events.... Lawmakers could then ask the local police to execute the plans for certain events, a step now taken only on an ad hoc basis."

Bob Herbert writes about our really stupid gun laws & our out-of-control murder rate. ...

... Molly Ball & Shira Toeplitz of Politico: Members of Congress "who have brought up gun control in light of the Tucson shooting have largely been the issue’s regular standard-bearers on Capitol Hill. Even gun-control advocates aren’t very optimistic about their chances.... The signal piece of gun legislation to come out of the Arizona shooting looks to be a bill that Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) plans to bring up as soon as this week. It would ban the manufacture and sale of high-capacity magazines such as the one Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’s would-be assassin, Jared Lee Loughner, attached to his Glock 19, allowing him to fire off 33 bullets without reloading, rather than the 10 or so in a typical clip. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) ... plans to introduce McCarthy’s legislation in the Senate.... But McCarthy and Lautenberg are up against a political consensus that has only hardened in recent years...."

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