The Ledes

Thursday, September 26, 2024

The New York Times:' live updates of Hurricane Helene developments today are here. “Hurricane Helene was barreling through the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday en route to Florida, where residents were bracing for extreme rain, destructive winds and deadly storm surge ahead of the storm’s expected landfall. The storm could intensify to a Category 4, if not higher, before making landfall late Thursday, and forecasters warned Helene’s anticipated large size could make its impacts felt across an extensive area. Areas as distant as Atlanta and the Appalachians are at risk for heavy rains.... Many forecast models show the storm making landfall late Thursday near Florida’s Big Bend Coast, a sparsely populated stretch....” ~~~

     ~~~ The Washington Post has forecasts for some cites in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina & Tennessee that are in or near the probable path of Helene. ~~~

     ~~~ This morning, an MSNBC weatherperson said Tallahassee (which is inland) would experience wind gusts of up to 120 m.p.h. and that the National Weather Service said expected 20-foot storm surges near the coast would be “unsurvivable.”

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The Ledes

Wednesday, September 25, 2024

The New York Times is live-updating developments in the progress of Hurricane Helene. “Helene continued to power north in the Caribbean Sea, strengthening into a hurricane Wednesday morning, on a path that forecasters expect will bring heavy amounts of rain to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula and western Cuba before it begins to move toward Florida’s Gulf Coast.” ~~~

~~~ CNN: “Helene rapidly intensified into a hurricane Wednesday as it plows toward a Florida landfall as the strongest hurricane to hit the United States in over a year. The storm will also grow into a massive, sprawling monster as it continues to intensify, one that won’t just slam Florida, but also much of the Southeast.... Thousands of Florida residents have already been forced to evacuate and nearly the entire state is under alerts as the storm threatens to unleash flooding rainfall, damaging winds and life-threatening storm surge.... The hurricane unleashed its fury on parts of Mexico’s Yucátan Peninsula and Cuba Wednesday.“

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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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.

The New York Times lists Emmy winners. The AP has an overview story here.

New York Times: “Hvaldimir, a beluga whale who had captured the public’s imagination since 2019 after he was spotted wearing a harness seemingly designed for a camera, was found dead on Saturday in Norway, according to a nonprofit that worked to protect the whale.... [Hvaldimir] was wearing a harness that identified it as “equipment” from St. Petersburg. There also appeared to be a camera mount. Some wondered if the whale was on a Russian reconnaissance mission. Russia has never claimed ownership of the whale. If Hvaldimir was a spy, he was an exceptionally friendly one. The whale showed signs of domestication, and was comfortable around people. He remained in busier waters than are typical for belugas....” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: Oh, Lord, do not let Bobby Kennedy, Jr., near that carcass. ~~~

     ~~~ AP Update: “There’s no evidence that a well-known beluga whale that lived off Norway’s coast and whose harness ignited speculation it was a Russian spy was shot to death last month as claimed by animal rights groups, Norwegian police said Monday.... Police said that the Norwegian Veterinary Institute conducted a preliminary autopsy on the animal, which was become known as 'Hvaldimir,' combining the Norwegian word for whale — hval — and the first name of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'There are no findings from the autopsy that indicate that Hvaldimir has been shot,' police said in a statement.”

New York Times: Botswana's “President Mokgweetsi Masisi grinned as he lifted the diamond, a 2,492-carat stone that is the biggest diamond unearthed in more than a century and the second-largest ever found, according to the Vancouver-based mining operator Lucara, which owns the mine where it was found. This exceptional discovery could bring back the luster of the natural diamond mining industry, mining companies and experts say. The diamond was discovered in the same relatively small mine in northeastern Botswana that has produced several of the largest such stones in living memory. Such gemstones typically surface as a result of volcanic activity.... The diamond will likely sell in the range of tens of millions of dollars....”

Click on photo to enlarge.

~~~ Guardian: "On a distant reef 16,000km from Paris, surfer Gabriel Medina has given Olympic viewers one of the most memorable images of the Games yet, with an airborne celebration so well poised it looked too good to be true. The Brazilian took off a thundering wave at Teahupo’o in Tahiti on Monday, emerging from a barrelling section before soaring into the air and appearing to settle on a Pacific cloud, pointing to the sky with biblical serenity, his movements mirrored precisely by his surfboard. The shot was taken by Agence France-Presse photographer Jérôme Brouillet, who said “the conditions were perfect, the waves were taller than we expected”. He took the photo while aboard a boat nearby, capturing the surreal image with such accuracy that at first some suspected Photoshop or AI." 

Washington Post: “'Mary Cassatt at Work' is a large and mostly satisfying exhibition devoted to the career of the great American artist beloved for her sensitive and often sentimental views of family life. The 'at work' in the title of the Philadelphia Museum of Art show references the curators’ interest in Cassatt’s pioneering effort to establish herself as a professional artist within a male-dominated field. Throughout the show, which includes some 130 paintings, pastels, prints and drawings, the wall text and the art on view stresses Cassatt’s fixation on art as a career rather than a pastime.... Mary Cassatt at Work is on view at the Philadelphia Museum of Art through Sept. 8. philamuseum.org”

New York Times: “Bob Newhart, who died on Thursday at the age of 94, has been such a beloved giant of popular culture for so long that it’s easy to forget how unlikely it was that he became one of the founding fathers of stand-up comedy. Before basically inventing the hit stand-up special, with the 1960 Grammy-winning album 'The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart' — that doesn’t even count his pay-per-view event broadcast on Canadian television that some cite as the first filmed special — he was a soft-spoken accountant who had never done a set in a nightclub. That he made a classic with so little preparation is one of the great miracles in the history of comedy.... Bob Newhart holds up. In fact, it’s hard to think of a stand-up from that era who is a better argument against the commonplace idea that comedy does not age well.”

Washington Post: “An early Titian masterpiece — once looted by Napolean’s troops and a part of royal collections for centuries — caused a stir when it was stolen from the home of a British marquess in 1995. Seven years later, it was found inside an unassuming white and blue plastic bag at a bus stop in southwest London by an art detective, and returned. This week, the oil painting 'The Rest on the Flight into Egypt' sold for more than $22 million at Christie’s. It was a record for the Renaissance artist, whom museums describe as the greatest painter of 16th-century Venice. Ahead of the sale in April, the auction house billed it as 'the most important work by Titian to come to the auction market in more than a generation.'”

Washington Post: The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., which houses the world's largest collection of Shakespeare material, has undergone a major renovation. "The change to the building is pervasive, both subtle and transformational."

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July 17, 2023

Marie: I will be shutting down Reality Chex at the end of this month. If anyone would like to take it over, let me know. I think I'm paid up till some time in September, and the annual fees for host & domain are not prohibitive.

~~~~~~~~~~

Afternoon Update:

Iowa. Jack Forrest of CNN: "Abortions in Iowa will for now remain legal up to 22 weeks into a pregnancy after a judge on Monday temporarily blocked the state's newly signed law that would ban the procedure as early as six weeks." At 5:45 pm ET, this is a breaking news story.

Patrick Kingsley & Michael Shear of the New York Times: "President Biden has invited Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to a meeting in the United States for the first time since Mr. Netanyahu re-entered office in December, easing months of tensions between the two leaders. Mr. Netanyahu's office said that Mr. Biden made the invitation in a 'warm and long' phone call on Monday evening, on the eve of a visit to Washington by Isaac Herzog, the Israeli president, that had until Monday night been widely seen as a slight to Mr. Netanyahu." This is an update of a story linked earlier.

What if the Shit Show Sucks? Greg Sargent of the Washington Post: "Stephen K. Bannon ... infamously declared in 2018 that the secret to political warfare was 'to flood the zone with s--t.' For many observers, this quote continues to capture the perils of our 'post-truth' moment: Our democratic culture remains deeply vulnerable to being swamped by disinformation.... We're now seeing what happens when the zone gets so flooded with excrement that it threatens to drown the MAGA movement itself. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) chaired a House Judiciary Committee hearing last week that purported to expose the FBI's 'weaponization' against conservatives. But GOP lawmakers floated so many allegations and conspiracy theories that the spectacle devolved into a haphazard, scattered mess with no storylines developed in meaningful depth.... Blame it on the 'MAGA persecution complex' -- the vast array of outlets in the right-wing media ecosystem that incentivizes GOP lawmakers to pander to conservative victimization and grievance. It's feasting on so many claims of persecution that it's essentially eating itself to death."

Based on what information is available, this has the look of a textbook billionaire tax scam. -- Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Finance Committee chair ~~~

~~~ Paul Keil of ProPublica: "Tax data obtained by ProPublica provides a glimpse of what congressional investigators would find if [billionaire Harlan] Crow were to open his books to them. Crow's voyages with [Justice Clarence] Thomas, the data shows, contributed to a nice side benefit: They helped reduce Crow's tax bill.... Despite Crow's representations to the IRS, ProPublica reporters could find no evidence that his yacht company was actually a profit-seeking business, as the law requires.... [For years, Crow took deductions on a supposed 'yacht charter business.'] By using those deductions to offset income from other sources, the Crows saved on taxes.... [But the yacht business appears to have been a fake business.] According to the former staff and the schedules, use of the vessel appears to have been limited to Crow's family, friends and executives of Crow's company, along with their guests.... Since April, when the Senate Finance Committee first sent Crow a long list of questions about Thomas' trips on his jet and yacht, Crow has refused to provide extensive answers.... One focus of the investigations is whether Crow disclosed his generosity toward Thomas to the IRS, since large gifts are subject to the gift tax. Another is whether Crow treated his trips with Thomas as deductible business expenses."

Matthew Bigg & Ivan Nechepurenko of the New York Times: "Russia said on Monday that it was ending an agreement that had allowed Ukraine to export its grain by sea despite Moscow's naval blockade, upending a deal that had helped to keep global food prices stable and alleviate one element of the global fallout from the war. Ukraine is a major producer of grain and other foodstuffs, and the United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, said he was 'deeply disappointed' by the decision. Millions of people who face hunger, or are struggling, as well as consumers around the world facing a cost of living crisis, will 'pay a price,' he said. 'Today's decision by the Russian Federation will strike a blow to people in need everywhere,' he told journalists."

~~~~~~~~~~

Isaac Herzog, the president of Israel, will meet President Biden on Tuesday before giving a joint address to Congress a day later. His visit highlights the endurance of Israel-U.S. ties but also underscores tensions between Mr. Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has not received an invitation to the White House since taking power again in Israel last year.... Mr. Biden has pointedly refused to reward Mr. Netanyahu with an invitation to the White House since he returned to office in December at the helm of the most right-wing government in Israel's history.... Mr. Biden also recently described Mr. Netanyahu's coalition as 'one of the most extremist' since the 1970s, and said he would not welcome Mr. Netanyahu to Washington 'in the near term.'... The timing of Mr. Herzog's visit comes just days before Mr. Netanyahu is expected to move forward with a contentious plan to limit the influence of his country's judiciary. That plan has set off political unrest in Israel and drawn particular criticism from Mr. Biden...."

~~~~~~~~~~

Peter Baker of the New York Times: "Thirty years after Congress ordered that papers related to the killing [of President John Kennedy] be made public with limited exceptions, President Biden has declared that he has made his 'final certification' of files to be released, even though 4,684 documents remain withheld in whole or in part. Going forward, agencies will decide any future disclosures that may be warranted by the passage of time. The president's certification, issued at 6:36 p.m. on the Friday before the long Fourth of July holiday weekend, when it would not draw much attention, has frustrated researchers and historians still focused on the most sensational American murder of the 20th century. But they suffered a setback on Friday when a federal judge refused to block Mr. Biden's order....

"Of roughly 320,000 documents reviewed since the law passed, 99 percent have been disclosed, according to the National Archives and Records Administration. But 2,140 documents remain fully or partially withheld as a result of Mr. Biden's action, officials said, while another 2,502 remain withheld for reasons outside the president's purview, like court-ordered seals, grand jury secrecy rules, tax privacy limits or restrictions imposed by people who donated papers, and 42 for a mix of both. A vast majority of excluded documents have actually been released but with certain parts redacted, officials said.... Officials said they were confident that none of the withheld information would change the essential understanding of the assassination."

Carl Hulse of the New York Times: "Senate Democrats plan to push ahead this week with legislation imposing new ethics rules on the Supreme Court in the wake of disclosures about the justices' travel and outside activities, despite blanket opposition by Republicans who claim the effort is intended to undermine the high court. The Judiciary Committee is scheduled on Thursday to consider legislation by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat of Rhode Island, that would require the Supreme Court to establish a new code of conduct for justices, set firmer ground rules for recusal from cases, create a new investigatory board and promote transparency about ties with those before the court. Senate Republicans have made it clear they won't support the legislation, and it has no chance in the G.O.P.-controlled House."

Ana Swanson of the New York Times: "A congressional committee focused on national security threats from China said it had 'grave concerns' about a research partnership between the University of California, Berkeley, and several Chinese entities, claiming that the collaboration's advanced research could help the Chinese government gain an economic, technological or military advantage. In a letter sent last week to Berkeley's president and chancellor, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party requested extensive information about the Tsinghua-Berkeley Shenzhen Institute, a collaboration set up in 2014 with China's prestigious Tsinghua University and the Chinese city of Shenzhen."

I have an Article 2, where I have the right to do whatever I want as president. -- Donald Trump, 2019 ~~~

~~~ The Dictator's Playbook. Jonathan Swan, et al., of the New York Times: "Donald J. Trump and his allies are planning a sweeping expansion of presidential power over the machinery of government if voters return him to the White House in 2025, reshaping the structure of the executive branch to concentrate far greater authority directly in his hands.... Mr. Trump and his associates ... [plan] to alter the balance of power by increasing the president's authority over every part of the federal government that now operates.... Mr. Trump intends to bring independent agencies -- like the Federal Communications Commission, which makes and enforces rules for television and internet companies, and the Federal Trade Commission, which enforces various antitrust and other consumer protection rules against businesses -- under direct presidential control. He wants to revive the practice of 'impounding' funds, refusing to spend money Congress has appropriated for programs a president doesn't like -- a tactic that lawmakers banned under President Richard Nixon. He intends to strip employment protections from tens of thousands of career civil servants.... And he plans to scour the intelligence agencies, the State Department and the defense bureaucracies to remove officials he has vilified as 'the sick political class that hates our country.'... [The plan's] legal underpinning is a maximalist version of the so-called unitary executive theory." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: In case you think this is a plan only Trump could love, think DeSantolini. As the reporters note, the Trump plan is backed by "a well-funded network of conservative groups ... led by the Heritage Foundation.... The agenda being pursued has deep roots in the decades-long effort by conservative legal thinkers to undercut what has become known as the administrative state...."

Devlin Barrett of the Washington Post: "Since his indictment last month on charges of withholding classified documents..., Donald Trump has publicly called special counsel Jack Smith 'deranged' and a 'psycho' and said he 'looks like a crackhead.' In response, Smith and the federal judge overseeing his pending criminal trial have said ... nothing.... Trump's broadsides on social media against the Justice Department, the FBI, and Smith in particular have not gone unnoticed. The government spent $1.9 million for U.S. Marshals to provide security to Smith and other officials between November 2022 and March, according to officials.... 'Trump has bought for himself more latitude than other litigants would have. He's campaigning for office, and the scope of things that are said in campaigns are often far out and unsupported,' [attorney Bruce] Rogow said.... 'These are the kind of comments that might provoke some judges to issue a gag order,' said Ken White, a former federal prosecutor.... Stephen Gillers, a professor of legal ethics at New York University, said that the calculus for a gag order could change if Trump starts talking about witnesses or evidence...." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.) ~~~

~~~ MEANWHILE. Brett Samuels of the Hill: “Former President Trump praised the judge overseeing his classified documents case as his legal team seeks a postponement of his trial in Florida.... 'I know it's a very highly respected judge. A very smart judge, and a very strong judge,' Trump said. When host [Fox 'News host] Maria Bartiromo noted that Trump appointed the judge in the case, Trump said, 'I did, and I'm very proud to have appointed her.'... We need judges that love our country so they do the right thing.'" MB: I'm just overwhelmed by Trump's sincerity. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Presidential Race 2024. David Morgan of Reuters: "The third-party No Labels group will stay out of the 2024 U.S. presidential race if polling shows its candidate would play a 'spoiler' role by helping to elect either the Democratic or Republican nominee, co-chairman Joe Lieberman said on Sunday. The group will on Monday release what it calls a 'common sense' agenda of policies meant to help unite the country behind a cooperative moderate alternative to the partisanship that characterizes contemporary U.S. politics." MB PS: You can trust Joe Lieberman's word about as far as you can throw Donald Trump. And he lies about big things that affect millions of people.

Beyond the Beltway

California. Eduardo Medina of the New York Times: "A California man who crashed into a car of six teenagers after they played a doorbell prank on him in 2020 was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Friday after his conviction on murder charges, officials said. The man, Anurag Chandra, had been found guilty in April of three counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder in the crash in Riverside County, Calif. The Riverside County District Attorney's Office argued that the crash, which killed three 16-year-old boys, was intentional."

Kentucky. Chris Cameron of the New York Times: "A Civil War-era treasure of more than 700 gold coins was unearthed in a Kentucky cornfield, a find that has at least partly vindicated legends of lost Civil War gold that have driven American treasure hunters for more than 150 years. The discovery, which coin sellers have called the Great Kentucky Hoard, was made on a farm by a man who has so far remained anonymous. In a video posted on June 9 on YouTube, the man is seen frantically counting mounds of coins caked with dirt. 'This is the most insane thing ever,' he said, pointing out coins that were later certified by the Numismatic Guaranty Company as genuine $1, $10 and $20 gold coins minted before and during the Civil War.... The total value of the treasure could exceed $1 million."

New York. Hurubie Meko & Erin Nolan of the New York Times: In 2011, profilers compiled lists of the characteristics they expected the Gisco Beach serial killer had. There are similarities between the profiles and the suspect arrested late last week for three of the murders. (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

Way Beyond

Ukraine, et al.

The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Monday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "Russian-installed officials reported an 'emergency' at a key bridge connecting the Crimean peninsula to the Russian region of Krasnodar, amid reports of explosions early Monday. Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, said two people were killed and a child was injured.... The Black Sea Grain Initiative ... that allows millions of tons of essential foods from Ukraine to safely traverse the Black Sea is set to expire Monday, fueling concerns that some lower-income countries could suffer acute food shortages.... Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that his country has a 'sufficient stockpile' of cluster munitions and 'reserves the right to take reciprocal action' if Ukraine uses their own." ~~~

     ~~~ The New York Times' live updates for Monday are here. The Guardian's live updates of developments Monday are here. The Guardian's summary report is here.

Jasmine Wright of CNN: "The US will allow European countries to train Ukrainians on F-16 fighter jets, a top Biden administration official confirmed Sunday, a potential boon for Ukraine's efforts to counter Russia's air superiority. 'The president has given a green light and we will allow, permit, support, facilitate and in fact provide the necessary tools for Ukrainians to begin being trained on F-16s, as soon as the Europeans are prepared,' national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN's Jake Tapper on 'State of the Union.' The decision cements a stark turnaround for President Joe Biden, who said earlier this year that he did not believe that Ukraine needed the F-16s. One of the main issues Kyiv's ground forces have faced as their counteroffensive gets underway is Russian air power holding them back." (Also linked yesterday afternoon.)

News Ledes

The Guardian is live-updating developments in the extreme heat that is affecting many parts of the Northern hemisphere: "Parts of Europe, Asia and North America are preparing for scorching heat on Monday that threatens to break records, drive wildfires and has prompted health warnings and evacuations. Europe could record its hottest-ever temperature this week on Italy's islands of Sicily and Sardinia where a high of 48C (118F) is predicted, the European Space Agency said."

Pennsylvania. The Dog That Barked. Washington Post: A family dog spotted Pennsylvania prison escapee & fugitive Michael Burham and ran toward him, barking. Upon engaging with Burham, the family recognized him and "called 911 as he headed back into the woods -- relaying a tip that would allow authorities to recapture him that evening and conclude the manhunt, Lt. Col. George Bivens of the Pennsylvania State Police said in a Saturday news conference."

South Korea. Washington Post: "Thirteen bodies were recovered from a tunnel in South Korea as the flooding death toll across the country rose to at least 40.Cars were trapped in a tunnel underpass in Osong near the city of Cheongju, about 70 miles south of Seoul, when the Miho River burst its banks on Saturday."

Comments Off

Reader Comments (20)

I'm bringing forward this comment, received at the same minute I opened today's page:

By Akhilleus:

Trump brays that we need judges who “love our country so they do the right thing”.

No.

It’s nice that a judge loves our country, but nationalistic fervor is not what makes a good judge, or prompts a judge to “do the right thing”. Those are qualifications for chauvinist and fascist judges.

Love of justice and rule of law are what directs judges to “do the right thing”.

Trump, however, equates himself with the country, which means “doing the right thing” is whatever’s good for him.

How such basic concepts are so easily warped and accepted as true by the MAGAts is yet another example of the perverting and iniquitous influence of the most corrupt politician in American history.

July 17, 2023 | Registered CommenterMarie Burns

Years ago I read "American Prometheus: The Triumph &Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer" by Martin Sherwin and Kai Bird. It remains one of the books that I remember affecting me deeply. I subsequently read other works by Bird who puts the reader smack dab in whatever story he is telling–-he's got you right from the beginning. Today in the Times Bird has a piece about Oppie and praises the new film that tells the tale.

"It is my hope that Christopher Nolan’s stunning new film on Oppenheimer’s complicated legacy will initiate a national conversation not only about our existential relationship to weapons of mass destruction, but also the need in our society for scientists as public intellectuals. Mr. Nolan’s three-hour film is a riveting thriller and mystery story that delves deeply into what this country did to its most famous scientist...

Sadly, Oppenheimer’s life story is relevant to our current political predicaments. Oppenheimer was destroyed by a political movement characterized by rank know-nothing, anti-intellectual, xenophobic demagogues. The witch-hunters of that season are the direct ancestors of our current political actors of a certain paranoid style. I’m thinking of Roy Cohn, Senator Joseph McCarthy’s chief counsel, who tried to subpoena Oppenheimer in 1954, only to be warned that this could interfere with the impending security hearing against Oppenheimer. Yes, that Roy Cohn, who taught former President Donald Trump his brash, wholly deranged style of politics. Just recall the former president’s fact-challenged comments on the pandemic or climate change. This is a worldview proudly scornful of science."

Ak's last sentence–––"How such basic concepts are so easily warped and accepted as true by the MAGAts is yet another example of the perverting and iniquitous influence of the most corrupt politician in American history."–––and because of what He has wrought –-bringing out all the cockroaches that were always there waiting for the light that they could follow–--our country is teetering on the brink of chaos. I cry often these days.

July 17, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterP.D.Pepe

@Marie, I'm sad to read the news, but understand. Thank you for your many years of service. You will be missed.

July 17, 2023 | Unregistered Commenterunwashed

Marie,

I hope all is well with you. I understand that it’s a lot of work and you’ve been at it a long time, providing this community, which you created and built up, an invaluable service. Thanks for connecting us all and giving us an oasis of sanity in an otherwise insane world. Sad news for us but hopefully good for you.

July 17, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterAkhilleus

@Marie; I'll bet you're planning to run for President so won't have
time for RealityChex. If you need help with the campaign let us
know. I'm sure we would all volunteer.

July 17, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterForrestMorris

Marie,

Like everyone here, I am bereft at the news there will soon be no RC in my life... and I cannot thank you enough for everything you've done for us over the years.

RC has been my life-saving dose of sanity for at least fifteen years, and it has introduced me to a bevy or wonderful people I would otherwise never have met, you foremost among them.

With that in mind, could I ask if it would be possible for those of us who would like to stay in touch to share email addresses? Is that something you could or would facilitate?

I'm only guessing, but I imagine your feelings will be a bit mixed. Even tho' it's time to end it, the absence of RC's daily grind in your life will leave a perceptible void. I know I felt that way when our eight-year run of the "We Do the Work" radio show ended. It's been gone for two years now and I still miss it a little.

Thank you again. It's been and is a privilege.

July 17, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterKen Winkes

I'm very sad to learn of your need to discontinue this blog. It has been a valuable part of my daily reading for quite a while. You did an excellent job harvesting important news items and presenting them comprehensively, and your commenters are top notch.

Bon Voyage to you in all your new adventures, and Thank You.

July 17, 2023 | Unregistered Commenterfleeting expletive

Thanks so much, Marie, for these daily reality checks. I am grateful for all your years of work. I will miss the perspective your comments give. At the moments I have been so upset by our political goings on that I have withdrawn into YouTube and watched videos of standing stones, your comments have allowed me to understand that all is not chaos and I don't have to look back at stone circles for solace and sanity.

July 17, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterVictoria

"... No matter how cynical you get, it is impossible to keep up."
—Lily Tomlin

This quote is not entirely apt, because the people who populate this site, and its compere, are not cynical, despite all temptations.

But when Marie folds her tent, it will be much, much more difficult to keep up.

Marie, we are all forever in your debt. Walk in the shade, sleep when you can, don't carry anything you don't need.

July 17, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterPatrick

Dear Marie,
Thank you for all your hard work in keeping this wonderful site up and running all these many years. It has been such a great pleasure and privilege to log on each day in great anticipation of seeing the fruits of all your effort and never being disappointed but only in awe of your expertise. I have never been anything but grateful for all you produce each day and seemingly at all hours of the day!
I hope you are well and happy and wish you all the best forever. I will miss you ! Love Julia

July 17, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterJulia

Ms. Burns, I have read your wonderful blog daily for years. You are a wonderful editor and a cogent, witty commenter. I have marveled at the amount of work you have been able to present to us, every single day! Thank you so much.

July 17, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterFrancie Newcomb

I cannot thank you enough for my decade long morning ritual. Cogent and comical and hopeful. Kudos.

July 17, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterAllen Rosskopf

Oh. My. Goodness. Our Marie: I am shocked and saddened to lose you and all the wonderful commenters. I did not know how I depended on you until all of a sudden I feel like I have lost a relative and some friends. You have been a shining light in this time of uncertainty and ghoulish news reporting It has been an important time to feel NOT alone with the terrible way things have been for a long time, that we aren't crazy, that certainly others are... You have validated our feelings and beliefs at a time when we have welcomed some community. And you have been so faithful and stalwart. I hope this means you are finally taking time for yourself. Please know how much appreciated you are-- I will miss you so much, as well as the RC-ers whose ideas and names I have come to enjoy and rely upon as fellow congregants. (Come on over to Esquire and Charlie Pierce...similar smart people there-- I am leo6681 over there--)
It was a fabulous run, New York Times to today, and we all wish you godspeed and a trillion best wishes. We love you.

July 17, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterJeanne

Just got home from work to see this shocking news that our guiding light--Marie--and our gathering place--this inimitable blog--will shut down in just a few weeks. Honestly, I have wondered, Marie, how long you could keep this up, and then have wondered what I and everyone else (and I assume there are so many who enjoy Reality Chex and never post comments) will do without you, the excellently curated news, and the insightful comments. I suppose I am not the only one who doesn't need to read the author of a post to know who wrote it--your voices are all so distinct and wonderfully different. And thanks, Jeanne, for the recommendation of Esquire and C. Pierce. Perhaps I will wend my way over there and seek you out.

July 17, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterElizabeth

I am at a loss for words - although I am going to add a few regardless. Although a bit late to the game, I have been an ardent fan for several years now. Your spot on analysis, along with your cadre of highly informed and wise commenters have been a ray of sunshine in an increasingly disturbing world. I was raised in the segregated south and have witnessed great changes in my time on earth. So distressing to watch the forces of darkness spill out in their attempt to undo the progress of the past decades. Folks like you and your followers give hope that maybe there will be a good world for my grandchildren. Thank you Ms Burns!

July 17, 2023 | Unregistered Commenterdbtexas

I see that I have not yet been able to figure out how to post a comment.

Marie, I will really miss this blog. It was always the first place I went to in the morning. I hope that you will enjoy your retirement for many years to come (I think from some of your posts that you and I are in the same age group.. pushing 80.)

Thanks for all you have done to keep us informed of the important things happening in our world. I doubt we will find a comparable site.
pat

July 17, 2023 | Unregistered Commenterpat

Thank you so much. A daily reader.

July 17, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterRichard

Marie,

You will be missed. Godspeed.

July 17, 2023 | Unregistered Commenterwto406

I recall your departure from the NY Times. I missed you then, but have been delighted to follow you here on RC, just wanted a “like” button here to show my appreciation for you and your brilliant commentators.
Best or the Best to you and yours!

July 18, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterBill

As with many others, R.C. was my first stop for news and information, I rarely commented as I was intimidated by my "political betters". It is a great gateway to the world outside of Kansas. All the best.

July 18, 2023 | Unregistered CommenterDan
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