The Ledes

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

New York Times: “The Rev. Jimmy Swaggart, who emerged from the backwoods of Louisiana to become a television evangelist with global reach, preaching about an eternal struggle between good and evil and warning of the temptations of the flesh, a theme that played out in his own life in a sex scandal, died on July 1. He was 90.” ~~~

     ~~~ For another sort of obituary, see Akhilleus' commentary near the end of yesterday's thread.

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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.

 

Commencement ceremonies are joyous occasions, and Steve Carell made sure that was true this past weekend (mid-June) at Northwestern's commencement:

~~~ Carell's entire commencement speech was hilarious. The audio and video here isn't great, but I laughed till I cried.

CNN did a live telecast Saturday night (June 7) of the Broadway play "Good Night, and Good Luck," written by George Clooney and Grant Heslov, about legendary newsman Edward R. Murrow's effort to hold to account Sen. Joe McCarthy, "the junior senator from Wisconsin." Clooney plays Murrow. Here's Murrow himself with his famous take on McCarthy & McCarthyism, brief remarks that especially resonate today: ~~~

     ~~~ This article lists ways you still can watch the play. 

New York Times: “The New York Times Company has agreed to license its editorial content to Amazon for use in the tech giant’s artificial intelligence platforms, the company said on Thursday. The multiyear agreement 'will bring Times editorial content to a variety of Amazon customer experiences,' the news organization said in a statement. Besides news articles, the agreement encompasses material from NYT Cooking, The Times’s food and recipe site, and The Athletic, which focuses on sports. This is The Times’s first licensing arrangement with a focus on generative A.I. technology. In 2023, The Times sued OpenAI and its partner, Microsoft, for copyright infringement, accusing the tech companies of using millions of articles published by The Times to train automated chatbots without any kind of compensation. OpenAI and Microsoft have rejected those accusations.” ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: I have no idea what this means for "the Amazon customer experience." Does it mean that if I don't have a NYT subscription but do have Amazon Prime I can read NYT content? And where, exactly, would I find that content? I don't know. I don't know.

Washington Post reporters asked three AI image generators what a beautiful woman looks like. "The Post found that they steer users toward a startlingly narrow vision of attractiveness. Prompted to show a 'beautiful woman,' all three tools generated thin women, without exception.... Her body looks like Barbie — slim hips, impossible waist, round breasts.... Just 2 percent of the images showed visible signs of aging. More than a third of the images had medium skin tones. But only nine percent had dark skin tones. Asked to show 'normal women,' the tools produced images that remained overwhelmingly thin.... However bias originates, The Post’s analysis found that popular image tools struggle to render realistic images of women outside the Western ideal." ~~~

     ~~~ Marie: The reporters seem to think they are calling out the AI programs for being unrealistic. But there's a lot about the "beautiful women" images they miss. I find these omissions remarkably sexist. For one thing, the reporters seem to think AI is a magical "thing" that self-generates. It isn't. It's programmed. It's programmed by boys, many of them incels who have little or no experience or insights beyond comic books and Internet porn of how to gauge female "beauty." As a result, the AI-generated women look like cartoons; that is, a lot like an air-brushed photo of Kristi Noem: globs of every kind of dark eye makeup, Scandinavian nose, Botox lips, slathered-on skin concealer/toner/etc. makeup, long dark hair and the aforementioned impossible Barbie body shape, including huge, round plastic breasts. 

New York Times: “George Clooney’s Broadway debut, 'Good Night, and Good Luck,' has been one of the sensations of the 2024-25 theater season, breaking box office records and drawing packed houses of audiences eager to see the popular movie star in a timely drama about the importance of an independent press. Now the play will become much more widely available: CNN is planning a live broadcast of the penultimate performance, on June 7 at 7 p.m. Eastern. The performance will be preceded and followed by coverage of, and discussion about, the show and the state of journalism.”

No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land. -- Magna Carta ~~~

~~~ New York Times: “Bought for $27.50 after World War II, the faint, water stained manuscript in the library of Harvard Law School had attracted relatively little attention since it arrived there in 1946. That is about to change. Two British academics, one of whom happened on the manuscript by chance, have discovered that it is an original 1300 version — not a copy, as long thought — of Magna Carta, the medieval document that helped establish some of the world’s most cherished liberties. It is one of just seven such documents from that date still in existence.... A 710-year-old version of Magna Carta was sold in 2007 for $21.3 million.... First issued in 1215, it put into writing a set of concessions won by rebellious barons from a recalcitrant King John of England — or Bad King John, as he became known in folklore. He later revoked the charter, but his son, Henry III, issued amended versions, the last one in 1225, and Henry’s son, Edward I, in turn confirmed the 1225 version in 1297 and again in 1300.”

NPR lists all of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize winners. Poynter lists the prizes awarded in journalism as well as the finalists in these categories.

 

Contact Marie

Email Marie at constantweader@gmail.com

Tuesday
Feb122013

State of the Union Address 2013

Full State of the Union Address:

The New York Times' interactive analysis of the President's speech is here. Their live coverage was here. The transcript of the SOTU address is here. ...

... Here's the transcript of the Sen. Marco Rubio's (R-Fla.) response. Here's the text of whatever it was Rand Paul (RTP-Ky.) said.

Mark Landler of the New York Times: "In an assertive State of the Union address that fleshed out the populist themes of his inauguration speech, Mr. Obama declared it was 'our generation’s task' to 'reignite the true engine of America’s economic growth — a rising, thriving middle class.'”

** Ryan Lizza of the New Yorker: "Since much of Obama’s agenda enjoys majority support, the trick for him is in forcing Republicans to act on it.... The dynamic that led to passage of ... three pieces of legislation [in recent weeks] was the same: the Republicans held a politically untenable position on a major issue and were forced to retreat from it after a White House campaign that embarrassed them. That’s the template for passing Obama’s agenda in 2013, and that was the point of his speech Tuesday night."

John Cassidy of the New Yorker: "Obama overshadows the Water Boy."

Greg Sargent: "If Obama’s Inaugural rooted the call for a progressive agenda in the country’s past, today’s speech offered a policy-heavy roadmap for a progressive future."

Ezra Klein: "... [President Obama's] speech was notable for the sweeping nature of the proposed changes. Obama’s agenda hasn’t been this bold since 2009. The difference between 2009 and 2013, of course, is that Democrats no longer control the House of Representatives. Most of these proposals have little chance of becoming law, at least right now."

Jonathan Cohn of The New Republic: "The most important proposal in President Barack Obama's State of the Union address may be one that gets the least attention and, quite possibly, has the least chance of becoming law in the near future: his proposal to create a universal pre-kindergarten program." CW: below is a chart, developed by conservative Nobel-laureate economist James Heckman of the University of Chicago, that shows the effective rate of return of investment in various age-specific programs. It's pretty dramatic:

Paul Steinhauser of CNN: in a CNN instapoll conducted with viewers around the country, "Fifty-three percent of speech watchers questioned in the poll had a very positive reaction, with 24% saying they had a somewhat positive response and 22% with a negative response.... According to the ... survey, 71% of speech watchers said the president's policies will move the country in the right direction, with 26% saying Obama's polices will take the nation in the wrong direction." CW: bear in mind that people opposed to Obama are way less likely than are supporters to watch his speech. I don't think these numbers mean much.

New York Times Editors: "... his speech explained to a wide audience what could be achieved if there were even a minimal consensus in Washington. Mr. Obama called for a series of steps that would provide enormous benefit for the middle class and for those hoping to enter it.... But on virtually every one of these issues, Republicans are standing in the way. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, the Republicans’ designated responder, wielded the party’s ancient cliché that the president simply wanted more 'big government.' ... His task now is to turn his widespread public support into a wedge to break Washington’s gridlock." ...

... Andy Rosenthal of the New York Times on the Rubio & Rand Paul (RTP-Ky.) responses: "Both Mr. Rubio and Mr. Paul laced their remarks with the usual G.O.P. propaganda that Mr. Obama hates jobs, small businessmen and entrepreneurs. Judging from these two speeches, the Republicans don’t intend to respond constructively to Mr. Obama’s call for a new direction in Washington. And they don’t intend to move beyond their failed 1980s-vintage economic policies." Rosenthal notes that Rubio's speech was an example of life imitating satire -- Rubio wrote his response before the President released his speech, much as ...

... Andy Borowitz wrote about Rand Paul's supposed pre-buttal: "In a break with tradition, Tea Party Republicans issued their official rebuttal to tonight’s State of the Union address a full twelve hours before President Obama was scheduled to deliver it.

"Rubio's Drinking Problem." Katie Gleuck of Politico: Twitter exploded during Sen. Marco Rubio’s Republican response to the State of the Union, as the Florida senator appeared a little sweaty and dry-mouthed at mid-speech, taking an awkward swig from a bottle of water that had been placed off-camera":

I needed water, what am I going to do? God has a funny way of reminding us we’re human. -- Marco Rubio, this morning

In fairness to Marco, he is not the only member of Congress who thinks he's a god. He is just one of the few who needs physical reminders. -- Constant Weader

... Not surprisingly, someone already has made a gif of the Big Gulp:

But [President Obama's] favorite attack of all is that those of us who don’t agree with him, that we only care about rich people. Mr. President, I still live in the same working-class neighborhood I grew up in. -- Marco Rubio

BUT not for long, if I can help it. Rubio quietly put his West Miami house on the market late last year as rumors swirl in Republican circles that representing Florida in D.C. is not a big enough job for him. According to Miami-Dade County records, Rubio and his wife Janette bought the 2,700-square-foot, four-bedroom home in the El Retiro subdivision in December 2005 for $550,000. MLS real estate records now confirm that Rubio put the suburban crib, at 6060 SW 13th St., on the market in November for $675,000. -- Jose Lambiet of the Miami Herald

The Modest Working-Class Pool Area in Marco's Back Yard:



Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/30/3208915/marco-rubios-west-miami-home-on.html#storylink=cpyRubio quietly put his West Miami house on the market late last year as rumors swirl in Republican circles that representing Florida in D.C. is not a big enough job for him.

According to Miami-Dade County records, Rubio and his wife Janette bought the 2,700-square-foot, four-bedroom home in the El Retiro subdivision in December 2005 for $550,000.

MLS real estate records now confirm that Rubio put the suburban crib, at 6060 SW 13th St., on the market in November for $675,000.


Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/30/3208915/marco-rubios-west-miami-home-on.html#storylink=cpy

Since when is a 'suburban' neighborhood of houses worth more than half-a-million dollars a 'working-class neighborhood'? Apparently 'no car elevator' is Spanish for 'working-class.' -- Constant Weader

** "Putting the Rube in Rubio." Steve Benen: "Watching [the Rubio debacle] unfold over 15 minutes, it was hard not to think that if this guy is the GOP's 'savior,' the party is in deep trouble.... By any sensible measure, Rubio's entire pitch was incoherent gibberish.... [For example,] Rubio celebrates his family's history of dependence on government social programs like student loans and Medicare, while articulating a policy agenda that guts government social programs like student loans and Medicare.... The senator even thinks combating the climate crisis means asking government to 'control the weather,' which is just genuinely dumb." It appears the GOP just handed Romney's stump speech to Rubio & hoped for the best. ...

     ... CW: Benen is being a little unfair. The GOP is obliged to spew "incoherent gibberish" because the "coherent gibberish" the party really favors is anathema to most Americans. So, yeah, they're hoping for the best, the best being they can continue to pull the wool over the eyes of millions of Americans who pay almost no attention to policy issues. To get the American people to even notice Rubio, et al., you'll have to catch Rubio literally in bed with McConnell &/or Boehner, wherein salacious photos of a three-way would have optimal effect. Audio of their pillow talk could be useful, too. Write your own script. ...

... Paul Krugman: "Faced with overwhelming, catastrophic evidence that their faith in unregulated financial markets was wrong, they have responded by rewriting history to defend their prejudices.... Rubio ... and his party are now committed to the belief that their pre-crisis doctrine was perfect, that there are no lessons from the worst financial crisis in three generations except that we should have even less regulation. And given another shot at power, they’ll test that thesis by giving the bankers a chance to do it all over again." CW: Krugman is as unfair as Benen. What choice do Republicans have? They have to ignore facts & rewrite history since the facts don't conform to their unshakeable beliefs & policy preferences.

What's Wrong with This Picture?

President Obama speaks to men in government at the 2013 State of the Union address. Except for the complexion of the President, this photo might as well have been taken in the mid-20th century.

Michael Shear of the New York Times: "President Obama will challenge a divided Congress on Tuesday night to embrace a second-term agenda that includes new government investments, limits on guns, a revamped immigration system and a plan to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan, White House officials said."